Shinsui | Miidera, Eight Views of Omi
伊東深水Ito Shinsui（1898-1972）
近江八景之内 三井寺
Miidera, from the series of Eight Views of Omi
1917, July (pre-earthquake)
木版画｜纵绘间判｜32cm × 22.7cm
Woodblock-print ｜Aiban tate-e｜32cm × 22.7cm
地震前作品；限量版200枚的第54枚；整体品相非常好；边缘有些许脏痕；背面上方边缘有两处残留胶纸
Pre-earthquake design, limited edition 200, number 54; little dirt in margins; tape remnant verso; otherwise in very good condition
$9,500
就像历代中国画家喜用潇湘八景兴笔墨意趣，一众日本画家也常以近江八景为题创作以表露画外之情。而在还不到二十岁的年纪，深水便已绘制出了独属于他的近江八景。
创作于1917至1918年间的《近江八景》，是美人画巨匠伊东深水艺术生涯中最知名也最重要的风景画系列之一，因其为关东大地震前所作，故而印量与存世量极罕。在本作中，深水取三井晚钟所在地滋贺县大津市三井寺（园城寺）内的一角入画，用沉郁昏暗的色调渲染着骤雨正盛时的窒息感。前景垂落的松枝与灌木丛为画面增添了几分破碎凌乱，同时与右后方规整肃穆的庙宇建筑形成强烈反差。不见边际的黑云，万千竖直的雨丝，檐下噤声的风铃，都在为这没有一丝风的雨天奋力出演，三井的晚钟，此刻亦响彻湖山。
Ito Shinsui is not as renowned as Kawase Hasui. Nor is he especially well-known for landscapes; bijin are his claim to fame. But early in his career with the publisher Shozaburo Watanabe, he did indeed produce many wonderful landscapes, and the legend is that they inspired the young Hasui to go in this direction himself. And this powerful little aiban yoko-e design is one of the most interesting and compelling.
Sheets of rain drench the temple, part of an expansive complex famous for its grand gate and a three-tiered pagoda. The print’s size does nothing to diminish its energy: you can practically feel the downpour. The temple bell keeps a lonely watch. This print, from 1917, is one of Shinsui’s earliest, from one of his earliest series, Eight Views of Omi. This is the storied region around Lake Biwa between Kyoto and Nagoya that was long a favorite of Ukiyoe Japanese woodblock print artists, especially Hiroshige.
At first, this design appears to be monochrome, but if you look closely you can see soft grays and blues and greens, all washed away in the rain. Other early Shinsui landscapes, like this, have similarly restrained and subtle palettes. Even at this early date, Shin Hanga designers had adapted the western practice of numbering prints. This is 54 out of just 200. The label is on the back.
Interested in purchasing?
Please contact us.
伊東深水Ito Shinsui（1898-1972）
近江八景之内 三井寺
Miidera, from the series of Eight Views of Omi
1917, July (pre-earthquake)
木版画｜纵绘间判｜32cm × 22.7cm
Woodblock-print ｜Aiban tate-e｜32cm × 22.7cm
地震前作品；限量版200枚的第54枚；整体品相非常好；边缘有些许脏痕；背面上方边缘有两处残留胶纸
Pre-earthquake design, limited edition 200, number 54; little dirt in margins; tape remnant verso; otherwise in very good condition
$9,500
就像历代中国画家喜用潇湘八景兴笔墨意趣，一众日本画家也常以近江八景为题创作以表露画外之情。而在还不到二十岁的年纪，深水便已绘制出了独属于他的近江八景。
创作于1917至1918年间的《近江八景》，是美人画巨匠伊东深水艺术生涯中最知名也最重要的风景画系列之一，因其为关东大地震前所作，故而印量与存世量极罕。在本作中，深水取三井晚钟所在地滋贺县大津市三井寺（园城寺）内的一角入画，用沉郁昏暗的色调渲染着骤雨正盛时的窒息感。前景垂落的松枝与灌木丛为画面增添了几分破碎凌乱，同时与右后方规整肃穆的庙宇建筑形成强烈反差。不见边际的黑云，万千竖直的雨丝，檐下噤声的风铃，都在为这没有一丝风的雨天奋力出演，三井的晚钟，此刻亦响彻湖山。
Ito Shinsui is not as renowned as Kawase Hasui. Nor is he especially well-known for landscapes; bijin are his claim to fame. But early in his career with the publisher Shozaburo Watanabe, he did indeed produce many wonderful landscapes, and the legend is that they inspired the young Hasui to go in this direction himself. And this powerful little aiban yoko-e design is one of the most interesting and compelling.
Sheets of rain drench the temple, part of an expansive complex famous for its grand gate and a three-tiered pagoda. The print’s size does nothing to diminish its energy: you can practically feel the downpour. The temple bell keeps a lonely watch. This print, from 1917, is one of Shinsui’s earliest, from one of his earliest series, Eight Views of Omi. This is the storied region around Lake Biwa between Kyoto and Nagoya that was long a favorite of Ukiyoe Japanese woodblock print artists, especially Hiroshige.
At first, this design appears to be monochrome, but if you look closely you can see soft grays and blues and greens, all washed away in the rain. Other early Shinsui landscapes, like this, have similarly restrained and subtle palettes. Even at this early date, Shin Hanga designers had adapted the western practice of numbering prints. This is 54 out of just 200. The label is on the back.
Interested in purchasing?
Please contact us.
伊東深水Ito Shinsui（1898-1972）
近江八景之内 三井寺
Miidera, from the series of Eight Views of Omi
1917, July (pre-earthquake)
木版画｜纵绘间判｜32cm × 22.7cm
Woodblock-print ｜Aiban tate-e｜32cm × 22.7cm
地震前作品；限量版200枚的第54枚；整体品相非常好；边缘有些许脏痕；背面上方边缘有两处残留胶纸
Pre-earthquake design, limited edition 200, number 54; little dirt in margins; tape remnant verso; otherwise in very good condition
$9,500
就像历代中国画家喜用潇湘八景兴笔墨意趣，一众日本画家也常以近江八景为题创作以表露画外之情。而在还不到二十岁的年纪，深水便已绘制出了独属于他的近江八景。
创作于1917至1918年间的《近江八景》，是美人画巨匠伊东深水艺术生涯中最知名也最重要的风景画系列之一，因其为关东大地震前所作，故而印量与存世量极罕。在本作中，深水取三井晚钟所在地滋贺县大津市三井寺（园城寺）内的一角入画，用沉郁昏暗的色调渲染着骤雨正盛时的窒息感。前景垂落的松枝与灌木丛为画面增添了几分破碎凌乱，同时与右后方规整肃穆的庙宇建筑形成强烈反差。不见边际的黑云，万千竖直的雨丝，檐下噤声的风铃，都在为这没有一丝风的雨天奋力出演，三井的晚钟，此刻亦响彻湖山。
Ito Shinsui is not as renowned as Kawase Hasui. Nor is he especially well-known for landscapes; bijin are his claim to fame. But early in his career with the publisher Shozaburo Watanabe, he did indeed produce many wonderful landscapes, and the legend is that they inspired the young Hasui to go in this direction himself. And this powerful little aiban yoko-e design is one of the most interesting and compelling.
Sheets of rain drench the temple, part of an expansive complex famous for its grand gate and a three-tiered pagoda. The print’s size does nothing to diminish its energy: you can practically feel the downpour. The temple bell keeps a lonely watch. This print, from 1917, is one of Shinsui’s earliest, from one of his earliest series, Eight Views of Omi. This is the storied region around Lake Biwa between Kyoto and Nagoya that was long a favorite of Ukiyoe Japanese woodblock print artists, especially Hiroshige.
At first, this design appears to be monochrome, but if you look closely you can see soft grays and blues and greens, all washed away in the rain. Other early Shinsui landscapes, like this, have similarly restrained and subtle palettes. Even at this early date, Shin Hanga designers had adapted the western practice of numbering prints. This is 54 out of just 200. The label is on the back.
Interested in purchasing?
Please contact us.
Ito Shinsui (1898-1972）
Ito Shinsui is best known for his Shin Hanga portraits, often three-quarters, of beautiful women. But he produced several memorable, and memorably tonal, landscapes during his career.
Born in 1898 in a fast-modernizing Japan, he started work as a factory worker before his obvious talent got him promoted to the design department. Later, his paintings caught the eye of Watanabe Shozaburo, who added him to his roster of Shin Hanga stars. From this point on, beautiful women were almost Shinsui’s entire repetoire, although during World War II he did travel to Indonesia to produce designs depicting life there. His remarkable life spanned a tumultuous time indeed, and he died in 1972.