Shotei Takahashi

Background

The child who was later to be known as Takahashi Shōtei was born, Matsumoto Katsutaro, in Mukoyanagiwara, Asakusa, Tokyo on January 2, 1871. As a child, he was adopted into the Takahashi family, becoming known as Takahashi Katsutaro.

Education

At the age of nine, Shotei was apprenticed to his uncle, Matsumoto Fuko, with whom he studied Japanese-style painting. According to tradition, Fuko gave him his art name "Shotei" a variant of his own surname "Matsumoto."

Career

At the age of sixteen, Shotei went to work at the Imperial Household Department of Foreign Affairs, where it was his job to copy designs of foreign medals, clothing, and other ceremonial objects. In 1889, along with Terazaki Kogyo, he founded the Japan Youth Painting Society. During his early years, Takahashi produced and exhibited original paintings and also worked as an illustrator of scientific textbooks, magazines, and newspapers.

In 1892, Shotei designed woodblock prints for a magazine published by Okura Shoten. In 1896, he designed lithographs for the publisher Hokunkai. During that time, he placed highly in competition at various industrial exhibitions. Later, he worked for publisher Maeba Shoten, also known as Maehane Shoten, where he did line drawing and color separations for reproductions of Ukiyo-e prints. While working at Maeba Shoten, he became acquainted with Watanabe Shozaburo.

In 1907, Takahashi was recruited as the first artist for Watanabe Shozaburo. He produced many original designs in the style of the Edo-era landscapes. In 1921, he started using the gō "Hiroaki", however, many of his new prints continued to display the "Shōtei" seal through the 1930s. Up until the great Kanto earthquake in September 1923, he produced as many as 500 print designs for Watanabe. Unfortunately, Watanabe's entire publishing operation was destroyed in the fires which followed in the aftermath of the earthquake. After the disaster, he produced 250 more prints for Watanabe, some of which were reproductions of the older images lost in the fires.

In the 1930s, while still working for Watanabe, he also designed some oban prints for the publisher Fusui Gabo. It seems that he had considerably more artistic freedom working for Fusui and was allowed to explore areas which may have been off-limits under Watanabe. At Fusui, he also acted as an editor for their Ukiyo-e reproductions. Additionally, also in the 1930s, he produced almost 200 print designs for the publisher Shōbidō Tanaka. Those included 12 mitsugiri-ban prints with approximately 180 prints in smaller sizes. According to the family records of his descendants, he died on February 11, 1945 of pneumonia.

Achievements

• Shotei Takahashi was known as one of the greatest shin hanga artists.

Works

More photos

• painting

  • Geisha by Brazier

  • Fuji from Senbon Beach

  • Cat with Bell

  • Sweetpeas and Butterflies

  • Red Gate at Hongo

  • Fuji from Okitsu

  • Fuji from Miho no Matsubara

  • Fujine

  • Fuji from Lake Yamanaka

  • Fuji from Lake Shojin

  • Fuji near Tamaho (green variant)

  • Fuji River

  • Awabi Pearl Fisher

  • Nearby Omuro

  • Camellia and Puppies in Snow

  • Junks in Inatori Bay

  • Japanese Radish, Rats, and Carrot

  • Fuji from Kurasawa

  • Fuji from Hakone

  • Tama

  • Cats with Ball

  • Peony and Paddy-birds

  • Shore of Lake Chuzenji

  • Asakusa Kannon, Tokyo

  • Fuji from Mizuchubo

  • Fuji near Tamaho (pink variant)

  • Woman and Kitten

  • Ekoda moon

  • Moonrise at Minatomachi

  • Black Cat and Tomato Plant

  • Tea House and Mt.Fuji

  • Pug on a Cushion

  • Crows on a Cold Night

  • Plum Blossom in Snow

    1936

  • Night scene of Mabashi

    1936

  • Rainy Weather

Membership

Shotei Takahashi was the member of the Japanese Youth Painting Society.

Interests

• cats

Connections

Shotei was married to a woman named Haru.

Spouse:

Haru Takahashi

Uncle:

Fuko Matsumoto

colleague:

Terazaki Kogyo

References

• Shotei Takahashi - A Modern Ukiyo-E Printer
  2010
• The Collected Print Works of Shotei Takahashi, A Modern Ukiyo-e Painter = Kokoro ni shimiru natsukashii Nihon no f kei : kindai no ukiyoeshi Takahashi Sh tei no sekai
  2006