Japanese Woodblock Print, 1928, 1st edition, published by Shozaburo Watanbe, with publisher's "A" seal (used 1924-1930) in lower right margin

SIZE IN INCHES: oban, 10.25 x 15.5 inches

COMMENTS: Rarely seen in any edition

UEHARA KONEN was born in 1878 in Tokyo. He studied painting with Kajita Hanko and the well-known artist Matsumoto Fuko, and then spent five years studying in the Nihon Bijutsuin (Japan Fine Arts Academy). Beginning around 1908 he worked with the publisher Kobayashi Bunshichi designing landscape and kacho-e woodblock prints. It was probably there that he met the young Watanabe Shozaburo who also worked for Bunshichi as a clerk. Later in the 1930s when Watanabe had established his own publishing company Konen collaborated with on several woodblock prints, although only two prints are listed in the 1951 Watanabe catalogue. Konen served in the Imperial Household and in the Foreign Ministry, probably as a wartime artist. He continued to exhibit award-winning paintings in various exhibitions and served as a juror for the Tokyo Metropolitan. Konen died May 24th, 1940 in Tokyo.

VG, with flaws as show, margin repair