Ohashi Suiseki 大橋翠石

大橋翠石 Ohashi Suiseki (1865-1945)
A Japanese-style painter from Gifu. He received his first lessons in painting from the local Southern School artist Toda Hōdō, and at the age of eighteen went to Kyoto. There he studied under Amano Hōko, Hōdō's own teacher. He subsequently moved to Tokyo, where he studied under Watanabe Shōka, mastering the fundamentals of landscape and flower-and-bird painting. In 1895, he exhibited his ‘Tiger Painting’ at the 4th National Industrial Exhibition, winning a commendation and silver medal. This marked the beginning of his success, with subsequent awards at various exhibitions. In 1900, he exhibited ‘Fierce Tiger’ at the Paris Exposition Universelle, winning the Gold Medal of Honour as the sole Japanese painter to do so, surpassing numerous other artists. He continued to win awards at domestic and international expositions, including the Gold Medal of Honour at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition and a Gold Medal at the 1910 Japan-Britain Exposition.