Kawatsura Yoshio (Negoro Raizan): Blooming Cherry and Camellia Trees

Artist: Kawatsura Yoshio (Negoro Raizan) 1887-?
Title: Blooming Cherry and Camellia Trees
Date: 1922

Rimpa-like selection of trees, some blooming brightly. At the top, a profusion of cherry blossoms fills the space, with a pink background as the “sky”. Behind the cherry tree is a blooming camellia tree, and to the left are shown a type of leafy green tree, its leaves done with dry brushstrokes, their texture a contrast to the flat green of the camellia leaves. Very little is known about the artist Raizan.  His prints are very scarce, most likely because they were published before the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and most of them were therefore destroyed. We also can assume that his publisher did not have the marketing genius of Watanabe Shozaburo. The Robert Muller collection at the Freer Gallery of Art has 17 works by Raizan; otherwise, few examples are known. Please note that these works never have a white margin on the outside of the design, so this is untrimmed.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition.
Dimensions: 37.3 x 25.2 cm (oban)
Publisher: Yoshikawa Kobunkan

SKU: RZN013