Shiro Kasamatsu - Born in Tokyo, Shiro began studying art at a young age with the painter Kaburagi Kiyokata. He completed his first woodblock designs for Watanabe Shozaburo in 1919 after the publisher saw his paintings on exhibit. Shiro designed shin-hanga prints for Watanabe for many years, becoming well known for his romantic landscapes of famous landmarks and his scenes of traditional Japanese life. From 1952 to 1960, he created more than one hundred woodblock designs for the Kyoto publisher Unsodo. He also experimented with sosaku hanga or creative prints starting in the late 1950s, carving and printing his own designs. Shiro is regarded as one of the top shin-hanga woodblock print artists in Japan.

Comments - Lovely image of the blossoming cherry trees at the Kanbayashi onsen or hot springs. Delicate pink petal drift down through the evening sky, blanketing the ground as a woman in a kimono walks past at right. Two figures can be seen in silhouette at the entrance of the onsen, warm yellow light filling the windows. This print was issued in a limited edition of 195 prints in 1998 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Shiro's birth. The print is sealed and numbered on reverse. The first time we've seen this attractive design.

Signed - Shiro within image at lower left, with red artist's seal
Publisher - Kyodo Shuppan Sha, later edition from the original blocks
Numbered - 26/195 in pencil on reverse

Artist - Shiro Kasamatsu (1898 - 1991)

Image Size - 9 1/2" x 14 3/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Remnants of paper mount on reverse at top center edge. A few light creases at edges. Please see photos for details.