Kasamatsu Shiro – Bamboo in Early Summer

Original woodblock print. The first edition of this design was published in 1954. The current print was printed in the Reiwa period (2019 – present).

Bamboo in Early Summer by Kasamatsu Shiro is vaguely reminiscent of Hiroshi Yoshida’s Bamboo Grove. The latter features a family of chicken in the foreground, and no house in the back, but is similar in composition with brighter light in the open contrasting with the partly shadowed bamboo grounds, both bringing the viewer into the bamboo grove.

Image size (excluding margins): 36.5 * 24.3 cm (14.4 * 9.6 in).

The print is in excellent condition.

The pictures shown here are from the print itself.

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Kasamatsu Shiro (1898-1991) was a prolific and famous woodblock artist. When only aged thirteen he started as an apprentice. He could trace part of his artistic lineage back via Kaburagi and Yoshitoshi, connecting him to the great Ukiyo-e masters of the 19th century.

He created many prints in the Shin-Hanga style. Many of these depicted traditional themes like landscapes and temples, but within that Shiro displayed great diversity. His prints in the period of 1952-1960 in this style were very successful. This enabled him to experiment and he started working in the Sōsaku-Hanga (creative prints) movement as well, not only designing but also carving and printing himself.

An overview of the woodblock prints by Kasamatsu Shiro can be found here.

See an overview of Kasamatsu Shiro's woodblock prints