Artwork
歌川広重画 罌栗に鶉|A Pair of Quails and Poppies
歌川広重画 罌栗に鶉|A Pair of Quails and Poppies is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1835 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1835 by Utagawa Hiroshige, this woodblock print presents a quiet natural scene in which two quails are perched on a slender branch. One bird clasps a vivid red poppy in its beak, while another blossom hovers nearby. The background is largely unadorned, save for a faint blue wash at the lower edge, allowing the figures to dominate the composition.
Subject & Meaning
The image juxtaposes avian and floral elements, highlighting the delicate interaction between bird and plant. The quails, rendered in muted brown and white tones, convey a sense of modest presence, while the bright poppies introduce a fleeting burst of color, suggesting the transitory beauty of spring and the quiet moments found in the natural world.
Technique & Style
Executed in the ukiyo-e woodblock method, the work relies on bold, flat areas of pigment and simplified outlines. Hiroshige employs a restrained palette, letting the scarlet poppies contrast sharply with the earthy feathers. The composition is balanced through the placement of the birds and blossoms against a minimal background, emphasizing clarity and harmony typical of his later nature studies.
History & Provenance
Part of Hiroshige’s broader interest in non‑urban subjects during the late Edo period, the print was produced by a traditional publishing house that handled his landscape and genre series. Though not tied to a specific series, it reflects the artist’s shift toward botanical and animal motifs, and surviving copies are held in several museum collections worldwide.
Artist & collection
Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川 広重) or Andō Hiroshige (安藤 広重), born Andō Tokutarō (安藤 徳太郎; 1797 – 12 October 1858), was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, considered the last great master of that tradition.
