This striking print by Shimomura Ryōnosuke presents a stylized vision of a fish market rendered through a distinctive balance of figuration and graphic abstraction. Across the upper register, four seated vendors—wrapped in loose garments and partially obscured by deep shadow—lean forward in quiet concentration as they sort and handle their catch. Their simplified forms and darkened faces lend the figures an anonymous, almost ritual presence, emphasizing gesture and posture rather than individual identity. Beneath them, rows of fish are arranged in circular and rectangular compartments, their bodies reduced to repeating silhouettes whose textured scales form a dense, patterned surface. Shimomura organizes the composition in a rhythmic horizontal structure, echoing the orderly display of goods within a market stall while simultaneously transforming the scene into a decorative field of shapes and textures. The contrast between the fluid linework of the figures and the compact, scale-like patterning of the fish introduces a subtle tension between movement and repetition. Although grounded in the everyday life of a working marketplace, the image transcends simple depiction; it becomes a study in pattern, labor, and quiet human presence. The restrained palette and delicate etched lines further reinforce the work’s contemplative atmosphere, suggesting the subdued early hours of the market before the bustle of the day fully unfolds. Ink on paper, the work is 35.6 × 46.9 cm (14 x 18-1/2 inches), the Frame: 45.5 × 62.7 × 1.5 cm (18 x 25 x 3/4 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Shimomura Ryonosuke (1923–1998) was a painter born in Osaka who graduated the Nihonga (Japanese-style) painting course at the Kyoto Municipal College of Painting in 1943, but was immediately conscripted for military service as a student soldier and demobilized in 1946. In 1947, along with Yamazaki Takashi and Mikami Makoto, he co-founded the Pan-real Art Association. Through this group, he played a central role in the postwar avant-garde movement, pursuing a liberated and experimental practice that rejected established conventions of Japanese-style painting. Although initially influenced by Cubism, his wartime experiences led him to question the traditional expectations in Nihonga. He instead turned his attention toward socially engaged themes. Widely exhibited domestically and abroad, Shimomura became particularly known for his distinctive bird motifs. His 1965 work Tori Fudo, created with built-up layers of paper mulch, attracted attention for incorporating sculptural elements into painting. From the inaugural exhibition of the Pan-real Art Association onward, he remained active in the group throughout his life, eventually assuming a leadership role. Often described as a “rebel painter,” he maintained a pioneering spirit within the traditional genre of Nihonga and is highly regarded for his sustained contribution to postwar innovation. His works are held in the collections of The Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, The Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art, The Osaka National Museum of Art, Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art; Osaka Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art. Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum, Musée Cernuschi, Paris; The Wakayama Museum of Modern Art, among others.
