Uehara Konen, "Hirosaki Castle"

Built in the early 17th century, Hirosaki Castle is located in Aomori Prefecture and its grounds are known for its cherry blossoms during spring. In this rare print by Konen, Hirosaki Castle is silhouetted against an evening sky and contrasts beautifully with the crisp outlines of the trees in the foreground.

Date: c. 1930s
Size: Mitsugiri (approx. 7” x 15”)
First-state edition
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo
Condition: Excellent
Suggested mat/frame size: 14” x 22”

Uehara Konen (1878-1940) worked with the influential publisher of woodblock prints, Kobayashi Bunshichi until the 1923 earthquake. Kobayashi laid the groundwork for the rise of Watanabe Shozaburo, who subsequently went on to publish Konen’s woodblock prints.