Snow on Willow Bridge

Method Woodblock (nishiki-e)
Artist Ohara Koson [Shoson; Hoson] (1877-1945)
Published 1927 (c. 1946 impression)
Dimensions Ôban tate-e [~15.6 x 10.7 inches]
Notes Artist Signature: Shoson
Artist Seal: Shoson (S.c)
Publisher: Watanabe
Reference: Newland, Amy Reigle. Crows, Cranes & Camellias: The natural world of Ohara Koson 1877-1945: pl. 166, p. 159.

A fine impression of one of Koson's most famous landscape prints, with fine bokashi shading, gaufrage and over-layed gofun snow. The scene shows two women crossing the Yanagi-bashi bridge in the heavy snow. They are sheltering under two umbrellas, one partially opened. The Kanda river appears in the background. Independent landscape scenes are only a small group in Koson's work. This image in its great simplicity and effective use of only a few colours, is one of his most beautiful designs.

Ohara Koson (1877-1945) was born in Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture in the North of Japan with the given name Ohara Matao. He studied painting as a student of Suzuki Koson, whose name he adopted as his artist name. During his career he changed his name to Shoson and Hoson. Ohara Shoson or Ohara Hoson or the other way round as Shoson Ohara or Hoson Ohara, are variations of his name that he also used throughout his career.
Kacho-e is the Japanese word for prints of birds and flowers and Koson is the best-known printmaker for kacho-e in the twentieth century. At lifetime his prints were exported in large numbers to the United States.

Condition: Hand applied gofun. Light even toning to sheet.
Framing framed
Price £2,250.00
Stock ID 52399

required