Natori Shunsen: Sitting Black Cat (SOLD)

Artist: Natori Shunsen (1886-1960)
Title: Sitting Black Cat  Date: ca. 1950

A seated black cat gazes expectantly up, its deep yellow eyes glowing like jewels. As noted by Rhiannon Paget (see reference), the cat delivers the psychological intensity of the kabuki actor portraits for which the artist is best known. We see the combination of shin hanga and sosaku hanga techniques here, as the cat has a more rough-edged, stylized form, including eyes that are more diamond-shaped than round. The cat, although seated, floats like its own planet against a silver halo that blends beautifully into a grey background.  With a limited edition seal, verso, numbered 82 out of an edition of 250. Scarce.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. One tiny ding to paper in background.
Publisher: Watanabe Shôzaburô   Seal: Artist’s seal  Size: 41 x 27 cm

Literature: Paget, Rhiannon. Divine Felines: The Cat in Japanese Art. Tuttle (2023), p. 49.

SKU: SHN020