Tiger at the Stream, with Magpies | Kishi Ganku | Japanese Tiger Art Print

A tiger lowers its head to drink from a mountain stream. Its paws sink into the cold water, its eyes stay alert, and above it, two magpies lean out from the pine branches to watch. Nothing moves, and yet the whole forest is holding its breath.

The painter of tigers

Kishi Ganku (1749–1838) was one of the great painters of Kyoto and the founder of the Kishi school. He became famous for one subject above all: the tiger. Remarkably, tigers did not live in Japan. It is said that Ganku obtained a real tiger's head and pelt to study, and you can feel it here: every hair of the fur is painted one by one, from the white chest to the dark stripes of the tail.

Look closer

• The fur, built up stroke by stroke until it almost feels soft to the touch.
• The malachite green dotted on the pine trunks, a mineral pigment that still glows after two centuries.
• The two magpies: in East Asian tradition, the tiger wards off evil and the magpie brings good news. Together, they make a wish for protection and good fortune.

Your print

• Museum-quality giclée printing on heavy matte paper
• Colors restored from a high-resolution image of the original painting
• Frame not included

Discover more big cats and dragons in our Tigers & Dragons of Asia collection.