Bullfinch and Weeping Cherry - Katsushika Hokusai

The artwork

Bring home the visual poetry of Japan with “Bullfinch and Weeping Cherry” by Katsushika Hokusai, offered here in a refined reproduction on Amalfi paper. The intense blue background and the delicate branch of weeping cherry set off the little bullfinch, creating a perfect balance of nature, colour and contemplative silence. This fine art print is designed for those seeking Japanese-style wall décor to enhance a study, living room or reception areas.

“Bullfinch and Weeping Cherry” belongs to the kachōga, the famous images of flowers and birds that Hokusai made during the Edo period, around 1832–1834. In this polychrome woodblock print the artist focuses on an upside-down bullfinch clinging to a branch of weeping cherry laden with buds, against a uniform blue sky that enhances the purity of the forms. The work is part of the series known as the “Small Flowers”, in which Hokusai experiments with strikingly modern compositional framing and a highly refined use of colour, destined to profoundly influence European taste in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A symbol of spring and rebirth, the weeping cherry converses with the little bird, turning a natural scene into a visual haiku suspended in time.

Unique quality material

Print on handmade Amalfi paper
Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in)
With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in)
Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges
Frame: light brown beech wood and wood pulp, handmade