Shiro Kasamatsu (1898-1991)

Born in Asakusa, Tokyo, Shiro Kasamatsu began his art studies at age 13, by becoming a student of Kaburagi Kiyokata who was known for his bijin-ga works. Shiro learned Japanese-style painting but unlike Kiyokata, Shiro painted landscapes.

His paintings were exhibited at several important exhibitions including the government sponsored Bunten, where they were seen by the Tokyo publisher, Watanabe Shozaburo. Watanabe approached Shiro in 1919 and suggested that he create designs for woodblock prints. It seems likely that Kiyokata helped facilitate the collaboration, just as he had done with other students, including Kawase Hasui and Ito Shinsui. Shiro designed several landscape prints between 1919 and 1923, but the blocks were destroyed in the Watanabe studio as a result of the 1923 Kanto earthquake and subsequent fire. Shiro resumed his work with Watanabe in the 1930's. His landscapes depicting traditional scenes and landmarks were particularly popular with Western collectors. "Shinobazu Pond" was in such demand, that it was reprinted throughout the 1930's and 1940's.

Intrigued by the creative independence of the Sosaku Hanga Movement, Shiro Kasamatsu stopped working with Watanabe after WWII. It was nearly a decade before he began producing his own prints, but a number of landscape and animal prints were published by Unsodo in Kyoto during that period. By the late 1950's, Shiro struck out on his own, carving and printing his own designs in limited, numbered editions. He continued to create prints for many more years and lived to be 93.

1   Total records found: 3

Large Lantern at the Asakusa Temple, Tokyo   Seated Buddha   Rainy Evening at Yanaka Pagoda, Tokyo

1

Artist Bio Index:

18th & 19th C. Artists:				Hiroshige Chikanobu Eisen Eizan Gakutei Hirosada Hiroshige II Hokusai Kunichika Kunisada Kuniyoshi Kyosai (Gyosai) Shunsho Toyokuni I Toyokuni III Yoshitoshi
20th C. Artists:				Bertha Lum Charles Bartlett Chiura Obata Clifton Karhu Cyrus Leroy Baldridge Elizabeth Keith Hajime Namiki Haku Maki Hashiguchi Goyo Helen Hyde Hiroshi Yoshida Ito Shinsui Joichi Hoshi Katsunori Hamanishi Kawase Hasui Kawase Hasui   (Posthumous) Kiyoshi Saito Koshiro Onchi Ohara Shoson   (Koson) Paul Jacoulet Ryohei Tanaka Sadao Watanabe Shigeki Kuroda Shinichi Nakazawa Shiro Kasamatsu Yamamoto Shoun Sugiura Tadashi Nakayama Takahashi Hiroaki   (Shotei) Toko Shinoda Tomoo Inagaki Toraji Ishikawa Torii Kotondo Toshi Yoshida Tsuchiya Koitsu Tsuruya Kokei Umetaro Azechi Unichi Hiratsuka Yoshitoshi Mori Yuji Hiratsuka
China Trade:				Auguste Borget Chinese School Edward Hildebrandt Thomas Allom William Alexander
Modern Originals:				Carol Jessen
Natural History:				J. James Audubon Mark Catesby John Gould
Antique Maps:				Conrad Lotter Gilles Robert Gerard de Jode Henricus Hondius Jan Huygen John Tallis Matthaeus Seutter Nicolas Sanson

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