Shiro - Born in Tokyo, Shiro Kasamatsu 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 - Charming scene of two women bathing in a cliffside pool at Shiranone Hotspring. The craggy rocks and lush green foliage provide a dramatic setting for the spa. A gorgeous print in a beautiful range of green and gray tones. This print features a red seal on the reverse with the pencil notation 38/195.

Signed - Shiro, with red artist's seal
Publisher - Watanabe, Heisei seal, later edition from the original blocks

Artist - Shiro Kasamatsu (1898 - 1991)

Image Size - 14 1/4" x 9 3/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. A couple spots. Please see photos for details. Good overall.