Who painted Dancing Fox?

Dancing Fox was painted by Ohara Koson in 1914.

Where can I see Dancing Fox?

Dancing Fox is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

Artwork

Dancing Fox

Ohara Koson , 1914

Dancing Fox is a print by Ohara Koson. It dates from 1914 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 2016.546
Credit line: Gift in honor of Delbert Gutridge, CMA Registrar 1968-1996

About this work

A fox dances on its hind legs in the rain, holding a giant green leaf on its head.

This is a whimsical scene, and it's interesting that Ohara Koson created it as a woodcut. He was a prolific printmaker who often depicted nature scenes, like flowers and birds.

To learn more about similar prints, check out the work of artist: Ohara Koson (Japanese, 1877–1945)

Overview

Dancing Fox is a Japanese color woodcut by Ohara Koson, depicting a whimsical scene of a fox dancing on its hind legs in the rain while balancing a large green leaf on its head.

Subject & Meaning

The print showcases a lighthearted, imaginative scenario, deviating from Koson's typical focus on realistic nature depictions, such as flowers, birds, and animals, which characterized his work within the kachōga genre.

Technique & Style

Koson translated elements of traditional Japanese painting into color woodcut technique, evident in Dancing Fox through the precise rendering of natural elements and the expressive, playful pose of the fox.

History & Provenance

Created by Ohara Koson (1877–1945), a prolific printmaker known for his extensive output of kachōga prints, Dancing Fox is one of his rare whimsical pieces among a predominantly nature-focused oeuvre.

Artist & collection

Artist

Ohara Koson

Ohara Koson (also Ohara Hōson, Ohara Shōson) (Kanazawa 1877 – Tokyo 1945) was a Japanese painter and woodblock print designer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at the forefront of shinsaku-hanga and shin-hanga art movements.