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 - Striking view of Minakami at twilight, the sky filled with yellow light as the sun begins to set. Bare trees are sharply silhouetted in black and deep red brown against the soft plum colored tones of the village and mountains in evening shadows. A warm glow come from the lighted windows of the town, and golden sunlight plays on the rippling surface of the river. A terrific shin-hanga design with an effective use of a limited color palette.

Signed - Shiro, with red "Shiro" seal, in English in bottom margin (with chop)
Publisher - Unsodo, with publisher's seal in left margin, later edition from original blocks

Artist - Shiro Kasamatsu (1898 - 1991)

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

Condition - Excellent overall with no issues to report.