Artwork
梅に三光鳥|Bird on a Plum Branch
梅に三光鳥|Bird on a Plum Branch is an ink print by the Baroque artist Utagawa Hiroshige. It dates from 1742 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Utagawa Hiroshige, a prominent ukiyo‑e printmaker of the late Edo era, produced the woodblock work titled *Bird on a Plum Branch*. Executed with ink and color on paper, the image presents a solitary bird alighting on a plum twig, set against a minimal background that includes a red fence and a pale sky.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a small bird, its face and breast flushed with red, its plumage accented by blue‑green tones, and a long tail extending beyond the branch. The plum branch bears only a few delicate blossoms, suggesting early spring and the fleeting beauty associated with the season in Japanese visual culture.
Technique & Style
Hiroshige employs concise, incisive lines to delineate the bird’s feathers and the fence, creating texture through brief strokes. The palette is restrained yet vivid, with dominant reds, greens, and soft pinks contrasting against a light, almost empty sky, exemplifying the artist’s skill in balancing simplicity with visual impact.
History & Provenance
The print is part of the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. While the exact year of its production is uncertain, it belongs to Hiroshige’s body of work that diverges from the typical urban scenes of ukiyo‑e, focusing instead on natural subjects.
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.
