Water Lily

Date:: c. 1928–1930
Medium:: Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Format:: Oban
Dimensions:: 32.4 × 22.5 cm
Publisher:: Watanabe Shozaburo
Edition:: Published by Watanabe Shozaburo
Source:: Minneapolis Institute of Art

Typical Price

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.

Later printings: $100–$500
Good lifetime editions: $500–$2,500
Rare subjects or exceptional impressions: $2,500–$8,000

Description

"Water Lily" is a shin-hanga nature study by Ohara Koson, created during the Meiji to Showa periods. This work belongs to the kacho-e (bird-and-flower) tradition, one of the most celebrated genres in Japanese art.

Ohara Koson brings characteristic sensitivity to this naturalistic subject, combining precise observation with poetic atmosphere. The composition balances the living subjects with their environment, creating a scene that feels both scientifically accurate and emotionally resonant.

The technical execution reveals the sophisticated printmaking tradition behind this image — from the precise registration of multiple color blocks to the subtle gradations that give depth and luminosity to the natural subjects.

This print represents Ohara Koson's contribution to the shin-hanga tradition during the Meiji to Showa periods. As with all works by this artist, it reflects both individual artistic vision and the broader cultural moment in which it was created. For collectors and admirers of Japanese printmaking, it offers a window into the sophisticated aesthetic world that produced some of the most beloved images in art history.