Kasamatsu Shiro – Imaibashi in Late Autumn

Original woodblock print. The first edition of this design was published in 1939. The current print is an early, but not first, edition from before 1957.

Image size (excluding margins): 24.5 * 36.3 cm (9.6 * 14.3 in).

The print is in fair state, with the image itself still relatively good. There are two pinholes in the upper margin. There is a fold in the upper right corner, from the upper and right margin through the image. There is a fold in the middle of the left margin. The paper has browned, especially visible on the back, but als midly visible in the image itself.

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