Ohara Koson (1877-1945) was a Japanese artist who rose to prominence during the late Meiji and Taisho periods, becoming one of Japan's most celebrated masters of kacho-ga (flower-and-bird pictures). Koson studied painting under the tutelage of Suzuki Kason, from whom he adopted part of his name as was customary in Japanese master-apprentice relationships.Initially working as a teacher at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, Koson found his true calling in printmaking. He worked under various names throughout his career—Hoson, Shoson, and Koson—each marking different artistic phases and stylistic evolutions. His early work was created primarily for Western audiences during Japan's expanding international art trade in the early 20th century.Koson's prints are characterized by their delicate lines, subtle color palettes, and extraordinary attention to naturalistic detail. While many ukiyo-e artists focused on landscapes, beautiful women, or historical scenes, Koson specialized almost exclusively in depictions of birds, flowers, and insects. His compositions captured intimate moments in nature: crows perched on snow-laden branches, egrets wading through shallow waters, or fireflies illuminating summer evenings.