Kasamatsu Shiro – Morning Waves

Original woodblock print. The first edition of this design was published in 1956. The current print was printed in the Reiwa period (2019 – present).

The current print by Kasamatsu Shiro is titled ‘Morning Waves’. It presents an excellent composition, capturing the morning sun as it sets the clouds ablaze. Below, a lake is depicted with men in three boats, their forms only vaguely visible due to the fog still lingering over the waters. Closer to the foreground, the predominantly blue morning waves reflect some of the bright colors of the rising sun.

This print is easily identifiable as a work of Kasamatsu Shiro. Characteristic features include the use of his favorite color, purple, in the sky, and the masterful depiction of water and waves, a recurring element in many of his prints. With a limited number of strokes, Kasamatsu Shiro captures the essence of the morning waves so vividly that one can almost imagine diving into them. Noteworthy is the excellent printing, truly showing the boatmen to gradually disappear in the morning fog.

Image size (excluding margins): 36.8 * 24.5 cm (14.5 * 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.

See an overview of Kasamatsu Shiro's woodblock prints