This book is the official catalog and book for the exhibition “Kasamatsu Shirani-The Last New Prints” held at the Ota Memorial Museum of Art. It features 130 selected works by Shirani Kasamatsu. Some of the original drawings by Kasamatsu Shirani's own hand are also included! Comparing the original prints with the woodblock prints, it is easy to see the differences in composition, coloring, and other details, and to appreciate the quality of the traditional woodblock prints. We also put a lot of effort into the printing so as not to spoil the texture and delicate colors of the woodblock prints. This is a book that allows you to enjoy the essence of Shirani Kasamatsu, the last new print artist.

Shirani Kasamatsu (1898~1991), a painter active from the Taisho to Showa periods. He studied Japanese-style painting under Kaburaki Kiyokata, and in 1919 published a series of new prints from the publisher Watanabe Shozaburo. From 1932 to 1941 (Showa 7 to 16), he produced many new prints depicting modern Tokyo cityscapes and the atmosphere of hot spring resorts in light colors. After the war, he left Shozaburo Watanabe and published many prints from Geisoudo from 1952 to 1959. He is the “last new print artist” in the sense that he was involved in the early stage of new prints and continued to produce prints energetically even after the war.