SHIRO KASAMATSU Japanese, 1898-1991 Heirinji Temple This print captures the serene beauty of Heirinji Temple, an active Zen site in Saitama Prefecture with a history dating back to 1375. The temple is renowned for its vibrant autumn landscape, and this work highlights the spectacular fall colors that have made the grounds a celebrated destination for centuries. Plate signed lower right. Framed. Not examined out of frame. Sight (as mated): 14.25 X 9.75 inches; frame: 20.75 x 15.25 inches $250-350
ARTIST PROFILE: Shiro Kasamatsu (1898–1991) was a prominent Japanese engraver and printmaker distinguished for his mastery of both the Shin-hanga (New Print) and Sosaku-hanga (Creative Print) movements. Born in Tokyo, he began his artistic journey at age 13 as an apprentice to the master Kaburagi Kiyokata, who granted him the pseudonym "Shiro"; although trained in Bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women), Kasamatsu found his true calling in landscapes. His professional career in woodblock printing began in 1919 under the influential publisher Shozaburo Watanabe, though a tragic fire following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 destroyed nearly all of his early woodblocks. After producing approximately 50 prints with Watanabe through the late 1940s, Kasamatsu pivoted in the 1950s to collaborate with the Unsodo publishing house in Kyoto, resulting in a prolific output of over 100 works. Simultaneously, he embraced the Sosaku-hanga style—a movement where the artist personally performs all steps of the carving and printing process—self-publishing nearly 80 expressive prints between 1955 and 1965 that solidified his legacy as a bridge between traditional commercial publishing and modern artistic autonomy.
Condition: In fair condition. Has some scratches on the frame.
