The Tiger of Ryokoku by Hirokage Size:M - 50 x 70cm placing this work in dialogue

placing this work in dialogue with the meditative end of modern illustration

The tree peony holds a different character from its herbaceous counterpart — more architectural

the historical and the contemporary folded into a single image

where towering waves crash against rocky cliffs while Mount Fuji rises serenely in the distance

and a compositional richness that draws from both pattern design and fine illustration

The Tiger of Ryokoku by Hirokage Size:M - 50 x 70cm placing this work in dialogueThe Tiger of Ryokoku is classic Utagawa Hirokage a woodblock print that deflates the heroic with deadpan comic timing. Where other Utagawa masters rendered tigers with fierce authority, Hirokage's beast is wide eyed and somewhat bewildered, surrounded by the exaggerated reactions of Edo period onlookers. The flat colour planes, bold outlines, and carefully observed crowd dynamics are all characteristic of mid 19th century ukiyo e, but the humour is