Shinsui, Ito (1898 - 1972), "Sunset at Akashi"

Notes: Near pristine example. Removed from the original S. Watanabe folder; never framed or displayed. Dated and signed upper right, 'Taisho 5 (1916), 20 December, Shinsui'. Circular S. Watanabe seal in lower right image.

"Sunset at Akashi", Shinsui's first landscape print, illustrates a wandering monk looking over the Akashi straits, located in southern Hyogo prefecture. He himself says, with a degree of modesty: 'The picture is based upon my memories of my youth, when I sojourned in the Keihan district at the age of 17 or 18...Because the block printing process requires special color combinations, I thought this scene would be most suitable, but due to my lack of knowledge as well as my lack of experience in woodblock printing, I could not obtain the expected results'. The New Wave; pg. 181

Scarce pre-earthquake landscape design by the artist.