Description
Color woodcut ukiyo-e, paper; 36 x 24 cm
Asking price 140
Estimate 600 - 800
Ohara KOSON
Kanazawa 1877 - 1945 Tokyo
Japanese painter and printmaker, co-founder of the shin-hanga ("new prints") movement. Known as a master of kachō-e designs. He created some 500 prints. He began studying painting and design at the Ishikawa Prefectural Technical School from 1889 to 1893, and also studied painting with Suzuki Kason (1860-1919). In Tokyo, he created several ukiyo-e triptychs illustrating episodes of the Russo-Japanese War, but most of his output was depictions of birds and flowers (kachō-e). He initially worked with publishers Akiyama Buemon (Kokkeidō) and Matsuki Heikichi (Daikokuya), signing his work Koson. Starting around 1926, he became associated with publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō and signed his work Shōson. He also worked with the publisher Kawaguchi, signing his work Hōson. Thanks to his collaboration with Watanabe, Ohara's work was exhibited abroad and his prints sold well, especially in the United States.
