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 - Beautiful view of Suwa Shrine at sunset, the evening sky flooded with a soft yellow and rose glow, a crescent moon high above. Beyond the torii gate a mother carries a child on her back along the quiet pathway. A lovely muted color palette in this quiet reflective image. The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has this image in its collection.

Signed - Shiro, with red artist's seal
Publisher - Watanabe, 7mm seal, Heisei seal, later edition from the original blocks

Artist - Shiro Kasamatsu (1898 - 1991)

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

Condition - Excellent overall with no issues to report.