Created from high-quality wood, milled with simple clean lines and presented with a satin finish. Includes an off-white mount that will not discolour or fade with age. - Simple, elegant design - Premium, fine art paper with a gently textured surface - Handmade by specialist picture framers - FSC certified off-white mat / window mount - Delivered ready for hanging

"Five Seagulls Above Turbulent Sea," painted by Ohara Koson, beautifully exemplifies the tranquil and dynamic elements of nature traditionally captured within the shin-hanga movement. Koson, also known by his birth name Ohara Matao, was a renowned artist from Japan who primarily worked during the late Meiji and Taisho periods (late 19th and early 20th centuries). He is celebrated for his exquisite kachō-e, or bird-and-flower prints.

"Five Seagulls Above Turbulent Sea" features a dramatic scene where five seagulls are portrayed skillfully soaring above a restless, churning sea. The turbulent waters below, portrayed with crashing waves and swirling currents, exhibit Ohara Koson's ability to imbue his prints with a sense of movement and urgency. The sea is rendered in a rich spectrum of blue hues, which contrasts beautifully with the stark white and soft grey of the seagulls.

The seagulls' wings are spread wide, capturing the elegant, aerodynamic form of these birds. Each bird is depicted in a slightly different posture, showing Koson's keen observation of nature and his capacity to convey the liveliness of birds in flight. The artist's delicate brushwork and attention to detail in the feathers and the expressive, almost calligraphic rendering of the waves create a scene that is simultaneously elegant and wild.

Ohara Koson was an influential figure within the shin-hanga (literally "new prints") movement, which revitalized traditional ukiyo-e art by incorporating Western techniques and perspectives while retaining classical subjects. This movement gained significant traction during the Taisho period (1912-1926) and early Showa period (1926-1989), attracting both Japanese and Western audiences.

Koson's work often focused on capturing the transient beauty of nature, resulting in a prolific number of prints that displayed a diverse array of animals and landscapes. His prints were popular for their aesthetic appeal and meticulous detail, participating in the broader trend of shin-hanga art that emphasized individually handcrafted prints.

While exact details regarding the location of all original works by Ohara Koson can be challenging to pinpoint, his prints are widely held in several important collections. Institutions such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the British Museum in London, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, among many others, house significant pieces of Koson's work.

- Signature: Koson’s signature and seal often appear on his prints, rendering them easily identifiable as part of his oeuvre.
- Atmosphere: This painting stands out due to its adept balance between tranquility and dynamism, capturing the essence of both the seagulls in flight and the roaring sea below.
- Technical Skill: The use of subtle gradations in color and the intricate wave patterns not only demonstrates Koson's technical skill but also exemplifies the shin-hanga movement’s blend of traditional and modern elements.
- Impact: Koson's ability to capture diverse aspects of the natural world resonates through this work, offering both aesthetic pleasure and a philosophical reflection on nature's power and beauty.

Overall, "Five Seagulls Above Turbulent Sea" is a masterful representation of Koson’s artistic abilities and a testament to the lasting legacy of the shin-hanga movement in early 20th-century Japanese art.