In this humorous print, two cats stretch their necks to inspect a yellow moth. The felines’ curiosity and individual temperaments are skillfully suggested through the barest of means: fluid line, flat simplified form, and limited color. The natural grain of the woodblock is highlighted in the background. Kiyoshi Saito belonged to the circle of twentieth-century sōsaku hanga (creative print) artists who personally drew, carved, and printed their woodblocks as opposed to working collaboratively. In addition to his printmaking career, the artist often was sought after as an illustrator for newspapers or as a commercial graphic designer.

Kiyoshi Saito, Black and White Cats with Butterfly, c. 1952, woodblock print on paper, 17 x 11 1/2 in. Weatherspoon Art Museum. Gift of Dr. Lenoir C. Wright, 1987.