"Cormorant and Egret" - Kitagawa Utamaro 1

Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro the First (Japanese, 1753 - 1806)
Publisher: Tsutaya Jūzaburō (Japanese, 1750 - 1797)
Art Size: 10 x 15 in.
Frame Size: 16 x 22 in.
 
An Edo Period color woodblock kacho-e (bird and flower picture), on paper from the publication "Myriad Birds: A Poetry Contest (Momo chidori kyoka awase)"
 
Text Translation: Artist: 喜多川歌麿　Kitagawa Utamaro
Title of piece: 鵜に鷺　U ni Sagi　“Cormorant and Egret”
 
CORMORANT, by poet Tōrai San’na/Sanwa "In the river the cormorant swims washed by waves; soon he too will be drowned in rumors."
 
EGRET, by poet Shikatsube-no-Magao "More than the chatty black crow that kisses and tells, I dislike the little egret who is mostly beak."
 
Both poems contain puns on the phrase 浮き名を流す “to spread rumors about people having a(n illicit) relationship”.
 
This exquisite Japanese woodblock print, a kacho-e (bird-and-flower picture), depicts two distinct water birds in a serene, subtly colored aquatic setting. On the left, a pair of elegant white egrets stand gracefully, their long, slender neck slightly bent, showcasing delicate feather details and long, pointed legs that extend into the pale green wash suggesting water.
 
To the right, a darker bird, likely a cormorant, is dramatically rendered in a diving posture, its black and white plumage visible as its head and upper body are submerged, creating ripples and a faint reflection beneath the surface. It hunts a school of fish beneath the surface of the water.
 
Both the upper left and right sections of the print are adorned with finely written Japanese calligraphy, adding an element of classical poetry and commentary to this tranquil yet dynamic scene of nature.
 
The piece is handsomely framed with a white matte and simple, glossy, black, vintage picture frame. Glass protects the art.