Bird and butterfly (1900 - 1930) by Ohara Koson

by Studio POPPY

Bird and butterfly (1900 - 1930) by Ohara Koson (1877-1945). Original from The Rijksmuseum.

He was born Ohara Matao; it is thought that he began painting and designing in 1889-1893 at Ishikawa Prefecture Technical School. He also studied painting with Suzuki Kason (1860-1919), although accounts differ as to whether this occurred during his school years or after he moved to Tokyo in the mid-1890s.

In Tokyo, he produced some ukiyo-e prints illustrating episodes of the Russo-Japanese War, but the bulk of his output consisted of prints of birds and flowers (kacho-e). He initially worked with publishers Akiyama Buemon (Kokkeidō) and Matsuki Heikichi (Daikokuya), and signed his work Koson. From about 1926, he became associated with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, signing his work Shōson. He also worked with the publisher Kawaguchi, signing his works Hōson.

Through his collaboration with Watanabe, Ohara's work was exhibited abroad and his prints sold well, especially in the United States. He was active in designing prints until at least 1935 and died in 1945 at his home in Tokyo.