Ohara Koson Prints

Ohara Koson (1877-1945) was one of the last representatives of Ukiyo-e woodblock prints in Japan. Known especially for his kacho-e works on birds and flowers, he depicted different elements of Japanese nature with a realistic approach. His art made an important contribution to traditional Japanese art by reinterpreting the aesthetic understanding of the Edo period in the Meiji and Taisho periods.

Koson’s works usually consist of birds, flowers and natural scenes. The artist, who stands out with his attention to detail, has finely crafted every element from the posture of the birds to the patterns of their feathers, from the shapes of the flowers to the harmony of the background. In his art, he meticulously reflects natural events and animal behaviors that may be overlooked in daily life. Sparrows, cranes, ducks and seasonal flowers are among the themes that Koson often included in his woodblock prints.

Ohara Koson worked at a time when Japanese art was beginning to attract attention in the West. In the early 1900s, his works were exported abroad upon the demand of Western collectors. During this period, the artist also used the names Shoson or Hoson in his works. Koson’s works attracted great attention, especially from art lovers in Europe and America, and increased the recognition of Japanese printmaking in the West.