A classic work by Shimomura Ryonosuke offering rubbings from lengths of dried wood over a rich, red surface. The work is framed in a style typical of the mid-century, and accompanied by its original cardboard storage box. Signed at the lower right, Ryo. The frame is 52.5 x 43.5 x 4.1 cm (21 x 17-1/4 x 1-1/2 inches), the work is 35.7 x 27 (14 x 11 inches) and is in excxellent 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.
