Wood Plates
7.75” & 9”
Circa Early 1900’s
We believe these pieces are by Ogura Yonesuke Itoh —
Ogura Yonesuke Itoh was a Japanese-American artist and one of the earliest painters of Japanese descent to depict the landscapes of Hawai‘i. Born in Japan in 1870, he arrived in the islands at the age of 25 after leaving his ship and quietly making a life for himself while hiding from authorities in Punchbowl Crater.
Itoh became part of Hawai‘i’s famed “volcano school” of landscape painters, a group known for their dramatic portrayals of Kīlauea and other island vistas. His work is often compared to that of Jules Tavernier, whose influence can be seen in Itoh’s dynamic depictions of volcanic activity and lush Hawaiian scenery.
Because Itoh was in Hawai‘i illegally during much of his early career, he frequently left his paintings unsigned. As a result, a number of his works were long misattributed to other artists. Today, he is recognized as a pioneering figure who helped shape the visual legacy of Hawai‘i at the turn of the 20th century.
Itoh passed away in 1940, leaving behind a body of work that bridges cultures and preserves a rare perspective of Hawai‘i’s natural wonders.
Wood Plates
7.75” & 9”
Circa Early 1900’s
We believe these pieces are by Ogura Yonesuke Itoh —
Ogura Yonesuke Itoh was a Japanese-American artist and one of the earliest painters of Japanese descent to depict the landscapes of Hawai‘i. Born in Japan in 1870, he arrived in the islands at the age of 25 after leaving his ship and quietly making a life for himself while hiding from authorities in Punchbowl Crater.
Itoh became part of Hawai‘i’s famed “volcano school” of landscape painters, a group known for their dramatic portrayals of Kīlauea and other island vistas. His work is often compared to that of Jules Tavernier, whose influence can be seen in Itoh’s dynamic depictions of volcanic activity and lush Hawaiian scenery.
Because Itoh was in Hawai‘i illegally during much of his early career, he frequently left his paintings unsigned. As a result, a number of his works were long misattributed to other artists. Today, he is recognized as a pioneering figure who helped shape the visual legacy of Hawai‘i at the turn of the 20th century.
Itoh passed away in 1940, leaving behind a body of work that bridges cultures and preserves a rare perspective of Hawai‘i’s natural wonders.
