The Frog by Matsumoto Hōji

Just two dots and a curved line create one of Japan’s most charming painted frogs. Its maker, Matsumoto Hōji, was an Osaka townsman rather than a celebrated court painter. What helped his modest ink image travel beyond its original setting? Follow the story of Hōji’s fondness for frogs, his place in Edo-period print culture and a later rediscovery.