Title : Three Kittens Playing

Artist : Natori Shunsen

Date : Not set

Details : More information...

Source : Japanese Art Open Database
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Description : Wednesday, 22 March 2006 NATORI SHUNSEN Three Kittens Playing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 1950, rare red Shunsen seal, numbered FIRST EDITION with limited edition seal on the verso (see scan below), 7mm Watanabe publisher seal at lower left corner Size: approx. 10.5" x 15.5" Condition: Fine, no flaws, never framed, uncirculated condition Impression: Fine, crisp contour lines and exact registration, nice texture Color: Fine, deep saturated color and nice bleed through Documentation: To the best of my knowledge Natori Shunsen's sosaku hanga prints of animals are completely undocumented. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NATORI SHUNSEN is considered by most academics and collectors to be the premier kabuki actor portraitist of the shin hanga movement in Japanese print making. Shunsen worked primarily with the publisher Watanabe Shozaburo to create over 70 delux portraits of actors in limited editions that were sold only by subscription. Today these prints are highly prized by collectors and quite rare and expensive. This playful design of three kittens was published in 1950 by Watanabe in a limited edition as well, but it represents a huge departure from Shunsen's actor portraits, not only in its subject matter, but also for its adoption of the sosaku hanga style that is typified by the use of a grey woodgrain background reminiscent of the work of Kiyoshi Saito. Shunsen created an entire series of prints of cats and dogs in this style for Watanabe which are rarely seen today.

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