Shinsui, Ito (1898 - 1972), "Enjoying The Evening Cool (Pre-Earthquake)"

Notes: A rare pre-earthquake design by the master of bijin-ga. S. Watanabe 6mm circular seal; lower left. Signed: Shinsui. Seal: "Ito" in vertical rectangle, in red ink. Red limited edition number seal on verso; #19/200. S. Watanabe catalog number stamp on reverse, "1577".

Tadasu Watanabe states, "When Shinsui created woodblock prints, he did not draw original paintings, but drew a sketch first. He worked for a pure abstract form. We cut the key-block in accordance with the sketch and pulled a sumi ink line print first. Shinsui then added watercolors on the sumi print to make a color-draft. Based on the color-draft, we selected eight to twelve colors to set the numbers of color blocks. An engraver cut a set of blocks accordingly and following the color-draft, a printer completed a first test print before the final decision on the total color plates was made. After watching the last process, Shinsui used to come to the studio of our shop and instructed us as to the tone of colors. The colors on the prints inevitably came out in a different tone from that of the hand-painted color-draft. We got together to incorporate Shinsui's ideas into the final stage, resulting in the birth of a creative woodblock print." - All the Woodblock Prints of Ito Shinsui