Ohara Koson (1877-1945) Japanese, Woodblock Print. "Bull-headed Shrike and Spider." 

Overall: 20 1/4 X 15 in. 

Sight: 13 1/2 X 7 in. 

#3818 . 

Ohara Koson (also known as Ohara Hōson and Ohara Shōson) was born Ohara Matao in Kanazawa in the Ishikawa Prefecture in 1877. It is thought that he started training in painting and design at the Ishikawa Prefecture Technical School from 1889 to 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. In Tokyo he produced ukiyo-e triptychs illustrating episodes of the Russo-Japanese War, but most of his production was prints of birds-and-flowers (kachō-e). He worked at first with publishers Akiyama Buemon (Kokkeidō) and Matsuki Heikichi (Daikokuya), signing his work Koson. Starting around 1926 he became associated with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, and signed his work Shōson. He also worked with the publisher Kawaguchi, signing his works Hōson. His diverse output and separating his work by publishers put him at the forefront of the shinsaku-hanga and shin-hanga art movements. Ohara became famous as a master of kachō-e designs producing over 500 prints throughout his prolific career. Through his association with Watanabe Ohara's work was exhibited abroad, and his prints sold particularly well in the United States. He was actively designing prints until at least 1935, and died at his home in Tokyo in 1945. Today his work is held in many museums worldwide, including permanent displays and collections at the Harvard Art Museums, the British Museum, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and the Rijksmuseum in Iceland.