Ohara Shoson (Koson) (Japanese, 1877-1945), Carrion Crow on Snow Covered Willow

circa 1920s, ink and colors on paper, woodblock print, a crow is perched on a snow covered branch against a gradient sienna orange to light peach ground, signed to the lower right corner together with red artist's seal, presented loose with top of print secured to a paper mat.
14 7/8 x 6 3/4 in
Koson Ohara (Shoson) was a master of early 20th century kacho-e (bird-and-flower pictures). With meticulous detail, soft color, and a palpable reverence for flora and fauna, Koson carried the genre into the modern era. He began his artistic career studying painting under the Shijo-style master Kason. Around the turn of the century, Koson became a teacher at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, where he met Ernest Fenollosa, an American collector, scholar and admirer of Japanese art and culture, who persuaded Koson in 1905 to export his bird prints to American art collectors. His earliest and rarest designs were notable for their narrow formats and soft colors.

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Overall very good estate condition; good color; print is secured at top edge to paper mat.