An uncut sheet of three preparatory drawing of birds and flowers

Hiroshige’s uncut shitae (design drawings) for three tanzaku-format bird-and-flower prints offer a rare glimpse into the artist’s creative process. The delicate outlines and spontaneous handling capture the immediacy of his brushwork, while the carefully arranged birds and seasonal plants reveal his sensitivity to the decorative possibilities of the narrow tanzaku format. Preserved together as an uncut sheet, the three designs provide an especially intimate view of Hiroshige’s working practice and his transformation of nature into elegant pictorial compositions.