{"product_id":"night-rain-at-shinobazu-pond-shiro-kasamatsu","title":"Night Rain at Shinobazu Pond - Shirō Kasamatsu","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArtist:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shirō Kasamatsu (1898–1991)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Night Rain at Shinobazu Pond (\u003cem\u003eYau Shinobazu no Ike\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Title:\u003c\/strong\u003e 夜雨 不忍池\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDesign Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 1938\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Watanabe Shōzaburō\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMedium:\u003c\/strong\u003e Genuine Japanese color woodblock print\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ōban tate-e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaper Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e Approximately 15.25 × 10.25 inches\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis genuine Japanese color woodblock print is Shirō Kasamatsu’s \u003cem\u003eNight Rain at Shinobazu Pond\u003c\/em\u003e, originally published by Watanabe Shōzaburō in January 1938. The design is a classic example of prewar \u003cem\u003eshin-hanga\u003c\/em\u003e and of Kasamatsu’s particular talent for atmospheric night, rain, and snow scenes. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNight Rain at Shinobazu Pond\u003c\/em\u003e depicts a solitary figure walking beneath an umbrella on a rainy winter night in Tokyo’s Ueno district. A tall illuminated streetlamp dominates the foreground, while the warm windows and lanterns of buildings beyond provide small points of light in the otherwise cool blue-gray landscape. Rain falls across the entire scene, softening the trees and buildings and almost dissolving the background into the night.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reflections in the foreground are particularly effective. Kasamatsu allows the lantern light to break into irregular patches of yellow across the wet pavement, providing almost the only warmth in the composition. The lone pedestrian, receding pathway, dark bridge railing, and oversized streetlamp create a strong sense of depth and solitude. Like some of Hasui’s finest night scenes, it turns an ordinary walk through the city into something quiet and cinematic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInscriptions \u0026amp; Marks:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTitle:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eNight Rain at Shinobazu Pond\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJapanese Title:\u003c\/strong\u003e 夜雨 不忍池\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArtist:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shirō Kasamatsu\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 1938 (Shōwa 13)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shiro, lower left\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArtist Seal:\u003c\/strong\u003e Red Shiro seal beneath signature\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Watanabe Shōzaburō, 6mm seal in margin\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTechnique:\u003c\/strong\u003e Japanese color woodblock print\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Very Good. Full margins with light overall toning consistent with age. Minor scattered foxing and surface marks are visible primarily in the margins, along with slight handling wear and waviness along the upper edge. Colors remain strong and atmospheric, with particularly good blue-gray tonal gradations and strong contrast in the illuminated lamps and their reflections. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Artist:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shirō Kasamatsu (1898–1991) was an important twentieth-century Japanese printmaker whose career bridged both the \u003cem\u003eshin-hanga\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003esōsaku-hanga\u003c\/em\u003e movements. He studied under Kaburagi Kiyokata, and in 1919 his work attracted the attention of publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō. Kasamatsu went on to design more than fifty prints for Watanabe through the late 1940s. He later worked extensively with the Kyoto publisher Unsōdō and also produced prints that he carved, printed, and published himself. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKasamatsu was particularly accomplished at depicting snow, rain, evening light, and other atmospheric effects. While his work shares some qualities with Kawase Hasui, Kasamatsu often employed stronger outlines and a somewhat more graphic treatment of form. His prewar Watanabe designs are an important part of his career and place him firmly within the classic period of the \u003cem\u003eshin-hanga\u003c\/em\u003e movement. \u003cspan class=\"contents\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Print:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eNight Rain at Shinobazu Pond\u003c\/em\u003e was designed in 1938 during Kasamatsu’s long collaboration with Watanabe and has become one of his better-known prewar night scenes. Shinobazu Pond lies within Ueno Park in Tokyo, but Kasamatsu largely avoids the recognizable landmarks of the location. Instead, he concentrates on the experience of walking through the neighborhood in rain—the glowing lamps, wet pavement, bare trees, and almost empty path.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe design was sufficiently successful that Watanabe continued printing it after the war, and both later Shōwa-period and Heisei-period impressions are known.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehttps:\/\/pages.uoregon.edu\/jsmacollections\/home\/artists\/shiro-kasamatsu-1898-1991-\/rainy-night-at-shinobazu-pond.html\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":63938776138099,"sku":null,"price":1000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1008\/3549\/2211\/files\/YGP00340.jpg?v=1786230508","url":"https:\/\/blueskyprintshop.com\/products\/night-rain-at-shinobazu-pond-shiro-kasamatsu","provider":"Blue Sky Print Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}