Ohara Koson (1877-1945) - c.1920 Japanese Woodblock Geese in Flight

Description

An original Japanese woodblock print depicting two geese in flight. Signed in characters and stamped with red artist's seal to the lower left corner. Inscribed with artist name verso. Presented in a white card mount. On pith paper.

Condition

The condition is typical for a picture of this age including some discolouration.

Size

24 x 24cm (9.4" x 9.4")

Artist Biography

Koson Ohara was one of the great printmakers of the 20th century, best known for his kacho-e prints of birds and flowers. Koson, was born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture. In his youth he became a student of Suzuki Kason, who was a shijo style painter.

Koson started teaching at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts around 1900 where he met Ernest Fenollosa, an American with a great passion for Japanese art. Ernest inspired him to design prints in a traditional Japanese style for export to the western market. During this time his work also included some landscapes, however his main interest remained rooted in the birds and flowers genre.

Throughout a prolific career, in which he created around 500 prints, he went by three different titles: Ohara Hōson, Ohara Shōson, and Ohara Koson.