Pictures of Flowers and Birds (Kachoga)
This type of ukiyoe took as its main subjects birds, grasses, and flowers. Some focused only on grasses and flowers, while in others insects such as cicadas, bees, and butterflies appeared in place of birds. There were in fact a large number of sub-types, including some that depicted animals like dogs, rabbits, or deer, in combination with flowers or trees.
Especially after the appearance of so-called nishiki-e ("brocade pictures"), which used a large number of different colors, ukiyoe masters became fond of the kachoga genre as a way of demonstrating their pictorial skills. Although it is not an example of woodblock printing, we have a bound collection, dating from 1787, of paintings by Utamaro titled Ehon mushi erami (The Insect Book), done with great precision and yet with a relaxed line technique. Hokusai also left some outstanding works of this genre, including, in so-called "horizontal large-size format," such works as "Peonies and Butterflies," "Poppies," "Hydrangeas and Swallows," "Sparrows and Irises," and "Rabbit-Ear Irises and Katydids." In medium-size format, he produced a well-known work titled "Japanese Grosbeak and Four O'Clocks." Hiroshige poured tremendous energy into his flower-and-bird pictures, in terms of both quantity and quality. They virtually overflow with poetic emotion, skillfully harmonizing dexterous brushwork with a rich feel for the seasons.
