Shinsui | Rouge, First Collection of Modern Beauties

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.