Japanese Art

Traditional Japanese Illustration

Artist: Ohara Koson
Date:1877-1945

Does the name sound familiar but not quite? That is because this Japanese artist went by:  Ohara Koson, Ohara Shoson or Ohara Hoson or even the other way round as Shoson Ohara or Hoson Ohara. It is the same artist, don't be confused. Just to make matters even more confusing he was born Ohara Matao in 1877. He studied painting with Suzuki Kason. In the early 1900 he made Russo-Japanese war prints. He had a steady income as a teacher at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and was part of the Nihonga art movement along with Watanabe Seitei. (check out his prints too!) He was famous as a master of kachō-e (bird-and-flower) wood block print designs and over a prolific career he created around 500 prints. Through his association with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, his work was exhibited abroad. His prints sold well, particularly in the United States. He was active designing prints until at least 1935, and died at his home in Tokyo in 1945.

Love this style ? There are 5 other gorgeous prints by this artist in our collection- add his name to the search box and create a wonderful series of images.

Traditional Japanese Illustration

Artist: Ohara Koson
Date:1877-1945

Does the name sound familiar but not quite? That is because this Japanese artist went by:  Ohara Koson, Ohara Shoson or Ohara Hoson or even the other way round as Shoson Ohara or Hoson Ohara. It is the same artist, don't be confused. Just to make matters even more confusing he was born Ohara Matao in 1877. He studied painting with Suzuki Kason. In the early 1900 he made Russo-Japanese war prints. He had a steady income as a teacher at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and was part of the Nihonga art movement along with Watanabe Seitei. (check out his prints too!) He was famous as a master of kachō-e (bird-and-flower) wood block print designs and over a prolific career he created around 500 prints. Through his association with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, his work was exhibited abroad. His prints sold well, particularly in the United States. He was active designing prints until at least 1935, and died at his home in Tokyo in 1945.

Love this style ? There are 5 other gorgeous prints by this artist in our collection- add his name to the search box and create a wonderful series of images.

Traditional Japanese Illustration

Artist: Ohara Koson
Date:1877-1945

Does the name sound familiar but not quite? That is because this Japanese artist went by:  Ohara Koson, Ohara Shoson or Ohara Hoson or even the other way round as Shoson Ohara or Hoson Ohara. It is the same artist, don't be confused. Just to make matters even more confusing he was born Ohara Matao in 1877. He studied painting with Suzuki Kason. In the early 1900 he made Russo-Japanese war prints. He had a steady income as a teacher at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and was part of the Nihonga art movement along with Watanabe Seitei. (check out his prints too!) He was famous as a master of kachō-e (bird-and-flower) wood block print designs and over a prolific career he created around 500 prints. Through his association with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, his work was exhibited abroad. His prints sold well, particularly in the United States. He was active designing prints until at least 1935, and died at his home in Tokyo in 1945.

Love this style ? There are 5 other gorgeous prints by this artist in our collection- add his name to the search box and create a wonderful series of images.

Traditional Japanese Illustration

Artist: Ohara Koson
Date:1877-1945

Does the name sound familiar but not quite? That is because this Japanese artist went by:  Ohara Koson, Ohara Shoson or Ohara Hoson or even the other way round as Shoson Ohara or Hoson Ohara. It is the same artist, don't be confused. Just to make matters even more confusing he was born Ohara Matao in 1877. He studied painting with Suzuki Kason. In the early 1900 he made Russo-Japanese war prints. He had a steady income as a teacher at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and was part of the Nihonga art movement along with Watanabe Seitei. (check out his prints too!) He was famous as a master of kachō-e (bird-and-flower) wood block print designs and over a prolific career he created around 500 prints. Through his association with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, his work was exhibited abroad. His prints sold well, particularly in the United States. He was active designing prints until at least 1935, and died at his home in Tokyo in 1945.

Love this style ? There are 5 other gorgeous prints by this artist in our collection- add his name to the search box and create a wonderful series of images.

Fishes

Artist: Watanabe Seitei 

Date:1887

Watanabe Seitei (also Watanabe Shōtei) 1851-1918 was a Japanese painter in the Nihonga style. Nihonga was a movement in the early 1900s with the aim of updating and developing a more modern Japanese style but in keeping with the traditional Japanese conventions and techniques. It emphasized the importance and beauty of the thousand-year-old traditional style whilst distinguishing it from the more western style paintings. He became a major inspiration to the following generation of Nihonga artists. At the beginning of the 20th century international travel was very difficult for Japanese artists and no one is entirely sure how he managed it - one theory is that work he did for an export company in the 1870s may have provided him with the necessary contacts. In 1878 he was one of the first Japanese artists to travel to the States and Europe. He lived in Paris for three years to study the western style of painting and was awarded a medal at the 1878 International Exhibition in Paris. He combined the realism of western paintings with the exquisite colours and washes of the Kikuchi Yosai school, his teacher when he was 16. His work was very popular and is widely collected in the West.

There are 5 other gorgeous prints by this artist - pop his name in the search box and create a stunning series of images.

Eagle In A Tree

Artist: Watanabe Seitei 

Date:1887

Watanabe Seitei (also Watanabe Shōtei) 1851-1918 was a Japanese painter in the Nihonga style. Nihonga was a movement in the early 1900s with the aim of updating and developing a more modern Japanese style but in keeping with the traditional Japanese conventions and techniques. It emphasized the importance and beauty of the thousand-year-old traditional style whilst distinguishing it from the more western style paintings. He became a major inspiration to the following generation of Nihonga artists. At the beginning of the 20th century international travel was very difficult for Japanese artists and no one is entirely sure how he managed it - one theory is that work he did for an export company in the 1870s may have provided him with the necessary contacts. In 1878 he was one of the first Japanese artists to travel to the States and Europe. He lived in Paris for three years to study the western style of painting and was awarded a medal at the 1878 International Exhibition in Paris. He combined the realism of western paintings with the exquisite colours and washes of the Kikuchi Yosai school, his teacher when he was 16. His work was very popular and is widely collected in the West.

There are 5 other gorgeous prints by this artist - pop his name in the search box and create a stunning series of images.

Roses, Young Bird and a Butterfly

Artist: Watanabe Seitei 

Date:1887

Watanabe Seitei (also Watanabe Shōtei) 1851-1918 was a Japanese painter in the Nihonga style. Nihonga was a movement in the early 1900s with the aim of updating and developing a more modern Japanese style but in keeping with the traditional Japanese conventions and techniques. It emphasized the importance and beauty of the thousand-year-old traditional style whilst distinguishing it from the more western style paintings. He became a major inspiration to the following generation of Nihonga artists. At the beginning of the 20th century international travel was very difficult for Japanese artists and no one is entirely sure how he managed it - one theory is that work he did for an export company in the 1870s may have provided him with the necessary contacts. In 1878 he was one of the first Japanese artists to travel to the States and Europe. He lived in Paris for three years to study the western style of painting and was awarded a medal at the 1878 International Exhibition in Paris. He combined the realism of western paintings with the exquisite colours and washes of the Kikuchi Yosai school, his teacher when he was 16. His work was very popular and is widely collected in the West.

There are 5 other gorgeous prints by this artist - pop his name in the search box and create a stunning series of images.

Bird on a Branch Watching Spider

Artist: Watanabe Seitei

Date:1887

Watanabe Seitei (also Watanabe Shōtei) 1851-1918 was a Japanese painter in the Nihonga style. Nihonga was a movement in the early 1900s with the aim of updating and developing a more modern Japanese style but in keeping with the traditional Japanese conventions and techniques. It emphasized the importance and beauty of the thousand-year-old traditional style whilst distinguishing it from the more western style paintings. He became a major inspiration to the following generation of Nihonga artists. At the beginning of the 20th century international travel was very difficult for Japanese artists and no one is entirely sure how he managed it - one theory is that work he did for an export company in the 1870s may have provided him with the necessary contacts. In 1878 he was one of the first Japanese artists to travel to the States and Europe. He lived in Paris for three years to study the western style of painting and was awarded a medal at the 1878 International Exhibition in Paris. He combined the realism of western paintings with the exquisite colours and washes of the Kikuchi Yosai school, his teacher when he was 16. His work was very popular and is widely collected in the West.

There are 5 other gorgeous prints by this artist - pop his name in the search box and create a stunning series of images.

Birds and Flowers

Artist: Watanabe Seitei 

Date:1887

Watanabe Seitei (also Watanabe Shōtei) 1851-1918 was a Japanese painter in the Nihonga style. Nihonga was a movement in the early 1900s with the aim of updating and developing a more modern Japanese style but in keeping with the traditional Japanese conventions and techniques. It emphasized the importance and beauty of the thousand-year-old traditional style whilst distinguishing it from the more western style paintings. He became a major inspiration to the following generation of Nihonga artists. At the beginning of the 20th century international travel was very difficult for Japanese artists and no one is entirely sure how he managed it - one theory is that work he did for an export company in the 1870s may have provided him with the necessary contacts. In 1878 he was one of the first Japanese artists to travel to the States and Europe. He lived in Paris for three years to study the western style of painting and was awarded a medal at the 1878 International Exhibition in Paris. He combined the realism of western paintings with the exquisite colours and washes of the Kikuchi Yosai school, his teacher when he was 16. His work was very popular and is widely collected in the West.

There are 5 other gorgeous prints by this artist - pop his name in the search box and create a stunning series of images.

Crayfish

Artist: Watanabe Seitei 

Date:1887

Watanabe Seitei (also Watanabe Shōtei) 1851-1918 was a Japanese painter in the Nihonga style. Nihonga was a movement in the early 1900s with the aim of updating and developing a more modern Japanese style but in keeping with the traditional Japanese conventions and techniques. It emphasized the importance and beauty of the thousand-year-old traditional style whilst distinguishing it from the more western style paintings. He became a major inspiration to the following generation of Nihonga artists. At the beginning of the 20th century international travel was very difficult for Japanese artists and no one is entirely sure how he managed it - one theory is that work he did for an export company in the 1870s may have provided him with the necessary contacts. In 1878 he was one of the first Japanese artists to travel to the States and Europe. He lived in Paris for three years to study the western style of painting and was awarded a medal at the 1878 International Exhibition in Paris. He combined the realism of western paintings with the exquisite colours and washes of the Kikuchi Yosai school, his teacher when he was 16. His work was very popular and is widely collected in the West.

There are 5 other gorgeous prints by this artist - pop his name in the search box and create a stunning series of images.

Fishing Boats

Artist: Ohara Koson
Date:1900-1936

Does the name sound familiar but not quite? That is because this Japanese artist went by:  Ohara Koson, Ohara Shoson or Ohara Hoson or even the other way round as Shoson Ohara or Hoson Ohara. It is the same artist, don't be confused. Just to make matters even more confusing he was born Ohara Matao in 1877. He studied painting with Suzuki Kason. In the early 1900 he made Russo-Japanese war prints. He had a steady income as a teacher at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and was part of the Nihonga art movement along with Watanabe Seitei. (check out his prints too!) He was famous as a master of kachō-e (bird-and-flower) wood block print designs and over a prolific career he created around 500 prints. Through his association with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, his work was exhibited abroad. His prints sold well, particularly in the United States. He was active designing prints until at least 1935, and died at his home in Tokyo in 1945.

Love this style ? There are 5 other gorgeous prints by this artist in our collection- add his name to the search box and create a wonderful series of images.

Fishing Boats

Artist: Ohara Koson
Date:1900-1936

Does the name sound familiar but not quite? That is because this Japanese artist went by:  Ohara Koson, Ohara Shoson or Ohara Hoson or even the other way round as Shoson Ohara or Hoson Ohara. It is the same artist, don't be confused. Just to make matters even more confusing he was born Ohara Matao in 1877. He studied painting with Suzuki Kason. In the early 1900 he made Russo-Japanese war prints. He had a steady income as a teacher at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and was part of the Nihonga art movement along with Watanabe Seitei. (check out his prints too!) He was famous as a master of kachō-e (bird-and-flower) wood block print designs and over a prolific career he created around 500 prints. Through his association with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō, his work was exhibited abroad. His prints sold well, particularly in the United States. He was active designing prints until at least 1935, and died at his home in Tokyo in 1945.

Love this style ? There are 5 other gorgeous prints by this artist in our collection- add his name to the search box and create a wonderful series of images.

Traditional Japanese Illustration

Artist: Mochizuki Gyokusen
Date:1891

Mochizuki Gyokusen, 1834-1913, the Kyoto-based artist came from a samurai family and studied with at least two different teachers—one a Tosa-school painter, the other a Kano-affiliated artist. His father was his main influence and mentor. He was considered a major artist in the landscape and bird-and-flower (kacho-ga) tradition and worked for the Imperial Palace when he was barely twenty. and produced a painting for the Emperor in 1855. His painting in the Japanese style was also considerably influenced by Western art. In 1904 he was appointed a Teishitsu Gige-in (Artist to the Imperial Household) and became a member of the Art Committee of the Imperial Household. In 1880, he helped found the Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting.

Traditional Japanese Illustration

Artist: Utamaro Kitagawa
Date:1753-1806

Known for producing some of the world’s best-known ukiyo-e prints, the man himself is a mystery figure and very little is recorded about his life. We do know that he was arrested and then held under house arrest for fifty days in 1804 for making illegal prints depicting a 16th-century military ruler - artists were not allowed to portray famous political figures yet he signed his provocative paintings.  He is considered as “a master of femininity” and an “expert on women.” He became famous in the early 1790s for his portraits of beautiful women with elongated, exaggerated features. He also produced nature studies, specialising in illustrated books of insects. He is known for Japanese erotica in the shunga style. He is thought to have created thousands of designs and artworks and has served as an inspiration for even more. He was one of the few woodblock prints and paintings artists to achieve fame throughout Japan in his lifetime.