Ito Shinsui 伊東深水: Marutapura River in Borneo (Sold)

Artist: Itō Shinsui 伊東深水
Title: Marutapura River in Borneo Date: 1943

Shinsui was ordered to travel to Southeast Asia by the Japanese government in April of 1943, which was no doubt a request that the artist could not refuse. He created three idyllic views of the Indonesian islands, which the Japanese had occupied in the spring of 1942, taking control from the Dutch. Here we see a woman preparing meals on a wooden boat, the steam from her cookpot creating a white cloud that is the focus of the print. Perhaps it is sunset, as the coloration would suggest that. The environs shown are very pre-industrial. This is a quite scarce design, as paper during the war was in limited supply; the Japanese government must have made sure that Watanabe was able to print this, as we may now see it as type of propaganda, with the territories under Japanese control appearing peaceful and their peoples content under Japanese rule. The focus on plentiful food is probably also no accident. Hiroshi Yoshida was also made to travel to occupied territories and create artworks during the war, and Hasui was made to design a few prints of the war based on photographs. With the Watanabe seal from this period, left margin, that makes this a first edition. Scarce.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. One minor spot, upper left at margin and some tiny colorations near very edges.
Dimensions: 27.8 x 37.6 cm
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo
Literature: See Seven Masters: 20th Century Japanese Woodblock Prints from the Wells Collection (2015), number 110, page 145. See Minneapolis Institute of Art collection. Signature: Shinsui

SKU: SNI049