Bird Lovers 

Yamamura Koka was a nihonga (modern Japanese-style painting) artist who made historical paintings. He was also a leading proponent of the Shin-Hanga (New Prints) Movement, which upheld Edo Period-style ukiyo-e in modern times, and his portraits of Kabuki actors were popular. In this painting, made when he was 40 years of age, he took on the new challenge of creating life-size portraits of the women of his time. The five slender women, who are reminiscent of the bijin-ga beautiful women motif that was common in ukiyo-e, resemble each other in appearance. Reversing and repeating almost the same body shapes, the painting has a static and orderly tone. At the same time, the women’s hairstyles, in the ear-hiding style that was fashionable at the time, are strongly emphasized through their black color and unique shapes, and they give the painting a strong accent. The work demonstrates the artist’s desire to combine the stylistic beauty of ukiyo-e with the new forms of beauty enjoyed by women of the day.
(UCHIYAMA Junko)