Shinsui Itō

Shinsui Itō was a famous artist from Japan.

He made many beautiful woodblock prints. He often painted pictures of women. He also painted pretty hills and lakes.

He used special colors from plants. This made a rich red color for clothes.

He worked with many skilled people. They helped turn his paintings into prints.

People loved his art very much. He won many great awards. He was even called a treasure. His art is in museums today.

Shinsui Itō was a famous artist from Japan. His real name was Itō Hajime. He lived during the Taishō and Shōwa periods.

He was a leader in the shin-hanga art movement. This movement helped make old art styles new again.

Itō was a master of bijin-ga. This means "pictures of beautiful women." He also painted many lovely landscapes. He used a special way to make prints. First, he made a master painting in watercolors. Then, skilled workers used that painting to make woodblock prints.

Itō loved using natural colors. In his print "Before the Mirror," he used dyes from plants. He printed the color many times to make a deep red. This looked very rich against the gray background.

His talent was very special. The government called his skill an "intangible cultural property." This is like being a Living National Treasure. He won the Order of the Rising Sun too. Many museums around the world keep his art today. His work is still loved by many people.

Shinsui Itō was a famous Japanese artist. His real name was Itō Hajime. He lived during the Taishō and Shōwa periods.

He was a key leader in the shin-hanga art movement. This movement helped bring traditional art back to life. It became very important after photography began to change how people saw the world. Itō was a master of bijin-ga, which means "pictures of beautiful women." He also painted many beautiful landscapes.

Itō had a very special way of making his art. He did not make the prints all by himself. First, he would paint a "master painting" using watercolors. Then, skilled craftsmen used that master copy to create the actual woodblock prints. This was a revolutionary way to work in the shin-hanga movement. He often worked with a publisher named Watanabe Shōzaburō. Together, they sent thousands of these prints to people all over the world.

Itō's life began in the Fukagawa district of Tokyo. His father's business failed due to bad investments. Because of this, Itō had to leave school in the third grade. He became an apprentice at a printing shop. This job helped him learn about printing and art. In 1911, he started training under an artist named Kaburagi Kiyokata. This teacher gave him the name "Shinsui." He released his first woodblock print just one year later.

Itō used many beautiful colors in his work. In his print "Before the Mirror," he showed a woman in a red robe.

Instead of using harsh chemical colors, he used natural dyes from plants. He printed the robe many times to make a deep crimson color. This looked lovely against the gray background and black hair. He also made famous series like "Twelve Figures of New Beauties" between 1922 and 1923. He even created a series about Lake Biwa in 1917.

People in Japan respected Itō very much. In 1952, the government called his skill an "intangible cultural property." This is a very high honor, similar to being a Living National Treasure. He also received the Order of the Rising Sun in 1970. His art is so famous that it has appeared on Japanese postage stamps. Today, you can find his paintings in many great museums. These include the British Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Shinsui Itō was a master of Japanese art during the Taishō and Shōwa periods. His real name was Itō Hajime. He was a central figure in the shin-hanga art movement. This movement helped revitalize traditional Japanese art styles. It arrived as photography began to cause a decline in older art forms. Itō specialized in Nihonga, which is a style of Japanese-style painting. He was also a talented ukiyo-e woodblock print artist.

Itō used a unique method to create his famous prints. He did not carve the blocks himself. Instead, he would first paint a "master painting" using watercolors. This master copy served as the guide for the entire process. Dedicated craftsmen then used this painting to create the actual woodblock prints. This collaborative system was a revolutionary part of the shin-hanga movement. It allowed for high levels of detail and color precision. He often worked with the publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō to produce these works.

His art is often categorized by specific genres. He was a specialist in bijin-ga, which means "pictures of beautiful women." These portraits are often considered his finest and most famous works. For example, he created the "Twelve Figures of New Beauties" between 1922 and 1923. He also painted many beautiful landscapes. One of his early landscape series was titled "Eight Views of Lake Biwa." This series was so impactful that it inspired the artist Kawase Hasui.

Itō's technical skill was visible in his careful use of color. In his print "Before the Mirror," he depicted a young woman in a red robe. Most artists at the time used harsh aniline red dyes. Itō chose a different path by using natural vegetable dyes instead. He achieved a rich crimson color by overprinting the robe several times. He also created a speckled gray texture for the background. This created a strong contrast with the woman's black hair and white skin.

Itō's early life was shaped by difficult circumstances in Tokyo. He was born in the Fukagawa district. After his father's business failed due to unwise investments, Itō had to leave school. He dropped out in the third grade of elementary school. He became a live-in apprentice at a printing shop to help his family. This experience introduced him to printing techniques and the arts. In 1911, he began an apprenticeship under the artist Kaburagi Kiyokata. Kaburagi gave him the pseudonym "Shinsui," which he used for his professional career.

During the Pacific War, Itō's work changed due to government requirements. He was drafted to produce propaganda art for the Japanese government. He traveled to the South Pacific and the Japanese-occupied Netherlands East Indies. During these travels, he completed over 3,000 sketches of various islands. After the war ended, he moved from the ruins of Tokyo to Komoro. He later relocated to Kamakura in 1949. These transitions marked a new chapter in his life and artistic focus.

In his later years, Itō became a highly respected figure in Japanese society. In 1952, the Commission for the Protection of Cultural Properties gave him a major honor. They declared his woodblock designing talent to be an "intangible cultural property." This status was the equivalent of being a Living National Treasure. He joined the Japan Art Academy in 1958. In 1970, he received the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun.

Itō's legacy continues through his art and his influence on culture. His works, such as "Yubi" and "Fubuki," have even appeared on Japanese commemorative postage stamps. His paintings are now held in many famous museums worldwide. These include the British Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. His daughter, Yukiji Asaoka, also became a well-known actress and singer. Itō died of cancer in 1972. He is buried at the Ryūsō-in temple in Tokyo.