COLLECTION NAME:
Louis Black Collection of Japanese Prints
mediaCollectionId
ConnColl~9~9
Louis Black Collection of Japanese Prints
Collection
true
Collection:
Louis Black Collection of Japanese Prints, Art History Dept, Cummings Arts Center, Connecticut College, New London
collection
Louis Black Collection of Japanese Prints, Art History Dept, Cummings Arts Center, Connecticut College, New London
Collection
false
Artist:
SHOSAN [Koson]
artist
SHOSAN [Koson]
Artist
false
Culture:
Japan
culture
Japan
Culture
false
Title:
Monkey Reaching for the Moon
title
Monkey Reaching for the Moon
Title
false
Medium:
Woodcut
medium
Woodcut
Medium
false
Dimensions (centimeters):
34 x 18 cm
dimensions__centimeters_
34 x 18 cm
Dimensions (centimeters)
false
Creation Date:
c.1910
creation_date
c.1910
Creation Date
false
Creation Century:
20th Century
creation_century
20th Century
Creation Century
false
Primary Creation Decade:
1910-1919
primary_creation_decade
1910-1919
Primary Creation Decade
false
Primary Subject:
animals
primary_subject
animals
Primary Subject
false
Donor:
Louis Black, 1955
donor
Louis Black, 1955
Donor
false
Description:
Shosan used name Koson before 1912; monkey hanging from a tree limb and reaching for the reflection of the moon on the surface of water over which the tree limb hangs
“Originally a trained painter, Koson began designing woodblock prints
during his tenure at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Due to his collaboration
with the established print publisher Watanabe Shozaburo starting in the mid
1920’s, Koson’s prints became highly successful. Koson
became well recognized for his idyllic flora and fauna printsprints; it is unknown if
the artist felt a particular connection to the natural world or if Watanabe
pushed Koson to design flower and animal prints in order to capitalize on yet
another genre of the shin hanga. 8 Indeed, the prominent publisher sent the
majority of Koson’s nature-oriented prints to Western countries where they
became immensely popular. As seen in Five White Egrets and Monkey Reaching for the Moon,
Koson’s prints often incorporate traditional Japanese artistic techniques such
as flat planes of color and a lack of perspective. Koson illustrated exotic
animals, as seen in Monkey Reaching for the Moon. Exotic animals appealed to Western
audiences since they were unfamiliar and they supported the West’s
romanticized notion of the Orient.” --Sydney LaBlonde ‘08
“Originally a trained painter, Koson began designing woodblock prints
during his tenure at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Due to his collaboration
with the established print publisher Watanabe Shozaburo starting in the mid
1920’s, Koson’s prints became highly successful. Koson
became well recognized for his idyllic flora and fauna printsprints; it is unknown if
the artist felt a particular connection to the natural world or if Watanabe
pushed Koson to design flower and animal prints in order to capitalize on yet
another genre of the shin hanga. 8 Indeed, the prominent publisher sent the
majority of Koson’s nature-oriented prints to Western countries where they
became immensely popular. As seen in Five White Egrets and Monkey Reaching for the Moon,
Koson’s prints often incorporate traditional Japanese artistic techniques such
as flat planes of color and a lack of perspective. Koson illustrated exotic
animals, as seen in Monkey Reaching for the Moon. Exotic animals appealed to Western
audiences since they were unfamiliar and they supported the West’s
romanticized notion of the Orient.” --Sydney LaBlonde ‘08
description
Shosan used name Koson before 1912; monkey hanging from a tree limb and reaching for the reflection of the moon on the surface of water over which the tree limb hangs
“Originally a trained painter, Koson began designing woodblock prints
during his tenure at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Due to his collaboration
with the established print publisher Watanabe Shozaburo starting in the mid
1920’s, Koson’s prints became highly successful. Koson
became well recognized for his idyllic flora and fauna printsprints; it is unknown if
the artist felt a particular connection to the natural world or if Watanabe
pushed Koson to design flower and animal prints in order to capitalize on yet
another genre of the shin hanga. 8 Indeed, the prominent publisher sent the
majority of Koson’s nature-oriented prints to Western countries where they
became immensely popular. As seen in Five White Egrets and Monkey Reaching for the Moon,
Koson’s prints often incorporate traditional Japanese artistic techniques such
as flat planes of color and a lack of perspective. Koson illustrated exotic
animals, as seen in Monkey Reaching for the Moon. Exotic animals appealed to Western
audiences since they were unfamiliar and they supported the West’s
romanticized notion of the Orient.” --Sydney LaBlonde ‘08
Description
false