Kasamatsu Shiro – Rising Moon at Katase River

Original woodblock print. The first edition of this design was published in 1953. The current print was printed in the Reiwa period (2019 – present).

In his “Rising Moon at Katase River” print, Kasamatsu Shiro shows a full moon just above the treeline on the hills in the back, at the beginning of the night, shining onto the Katase River. The Katase River should not be confused with a similarly named canal in Kyoto, but is part of the Sakai River, closer to Tokyo. This is also evident from image itself, as it is a countryside scene. The night has just fallen, but is brightened by the full moon and the light coming from the buildings near the river. Below the rising moon a lone figure is visible on a boat, most likely heading home, before the night falls completely.

Rising Moon at Katase River is a typical Shin hanga print. It is perhaps simpler than some other Shin hanga prints, but as always, Kasamatsu Shiro manages to capture the atmosphere of the scene perfectly.

Image size (excluding margins): 36.3 * 23.8 cm (14.3 * 9.4 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.

See an overview Kasamatsu Shiro’s woodblock prints.

See an overview of Kasamatsu Shiro's woodblock prints