(Japanese, 1877-1945)
Ohara Koson was a Japanese painter and woodblock print designer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, part of the shin-hanga (“new prints”) movement. Ohara Koson was famous as a master of kachō-e (bird-and-flower) designs. Throughout a prolific career, in which he created around 500 prints, he went by three different titles: Ohara Hōson (小原豊邨), Ohara Shōson (小原祥邨) and Ohara Koson.
He was born Ohara Matao; it is thought that he started training in painting and design at the Ishikawa Prefecture Technical School in 1889–1893. He also studied painting with Suzuki Kason (1860–1919), although accounts differ on whether this happened during his school years or after he moved to Tokyo in the middle to late 1890s.
This plus good other images are amazing, thank you!
For me, in this one, the receding reeds capture the show… The way Japanese prints use negative space is unequalled, even in contemporary art!
Photography was available during his time, and he seems to be mixing traditional with a much more modern look. It’s fantastic:
Yes, to all of that.
And I just want to add: artvee.com is one of the greatest things on the internet (imo). Everyone should take advantage of their display of great artworks from the past, often. But I’m happy to share things I find there with you all too.
I wasn’t aware of that site. There’s almost too much great stuff there!..
Thank you again.