Kasamatsu Shiro – Night Rain at Shinobazu Pond

Original woodblock print. The first edition of this design was published in 1938. The current print is from an early post-war edition. It carries the 6mm Watanabe seal.

Image size (excluding margins): 36.2 * 24.0 cm (14.3 * 9.4 in).

The print is in excellent condition. On the back there is a note in pencil and a sticker of the Watanabe publisher. There are two pinholes in the margins.

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.

See an overview of Kasamatsu Shiro's woodblock prints