Leaping Fish
by Ohara Koson
- Date:
- before 1912
- Medium:
- Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 34.5 × 18.7 cm
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
by Ohara Koson
Koson's vast output of ~450 designs spans birds, flowers, fish, insects, and occasional landscapes. While his large production keeps most prints accessible, early Kokkeido-period impressions with muted, elegant Meiji-era coloring are distinctly more sought after than the brighter later Watanabe editions.
A fish leaps from the water in a composition of pure kinetic energy — scale catching light, tail fin fanning out, the body arced in the trajectory of its jump. The pre-1912 date places this among Koson's early works, when he was developing his mastery of the aquatic subject and learning to capture motion within the static woodblock medium. His leaping fish prints established formal solutions that he would refine throughout his career.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Leaping Fish was created by Ohara Koson (小原古邨) in before 1912.
Leaping Fish was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (before 1912).
Leaping Fish depicts fish and animals.
Leaping Fish measures 34.5 × 18.7 cm (Oban format).
