Fish, dated 1887, renders its subject in fluid, closely observed detail, in the kachō-ga (bird-and-flower) tradition of Watanabe Seitei. A Meiji-era Japanese painter, Seitei blended Western naturalism with the delicate coloring of the Kikuchi Yōsai school, and was among the first Japanese artists recognised in Europe, winning a medal at the 1878 Paris International Exhibition. His naturalistic eye extended beyond birds to studies like this one.

Printed as a canvas print, the woven texture lends the piece a soft, gallery-ready depth that suits its layered colour and form.