『画本虫撰』「赤蜻蛉」「いなこ」|Red Dragonfly (Akatonbo); Locust (Inago), from the Picture Book of Crawling Creatures (Ehon mushi erami)
1788
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From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
1788
ink
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
This image shows two detailed woodblock prints side by side. On the left, a red dragonfly clings to a thin branch, its wings spread wide. On the right, a locust perches on a stalk next to bright pink and purple flowers, with green leaves around them. The artist paid close attention to tiny details, like the dragonfly’s veins and the locust’s antennae. The flowers add a splash of color to both scenes. Next, look up technique: cross-hatching to see how artists build texture with lines.
