Ohara Koson (1877-1945) - Framed Japanese Woodblock Carp Fish

Description

An original Japanese woodblock depicting two elegant carp fish by Japanese printmaker, Ohara Koson. Koson has effortlessly captured a sense of stillness and beauty in this simplistic composition, with a remarkable painterly quality to the printed surface. Stamped with red artist's seal to the lower left corner. The print is well presented in a sleek black frame and white card mount. Glazed. On paper.

Condition

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

Size

31 x 17.5cm (12.2" x 6.9")
Framed Size: 47.5 x 33.5cm (18.7" x 13.2")

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.