Kondō Shiun

Kondō Shiun 近藤紫雲 (1885-c. 1940)

BIOGRAPHY

Sources: Guide to Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1900-1975, Helen Merritt, University of Hawaii Press, 1992, p. 76; The Female Image: 20th Century Prints of Japanese Beauties, Amy Riegle Newland and Hamanaka Shinji, Abe Publishing Ltd and Hotei Publishing, 2000, p. 210; 浮世絵文献資料館 (Ukiyo-e Reference Materials Library) https://www.ne.jp/asahi/kato/yoshio/aiueo-zenesi/ko-zenesi/kondou-siun.html [accessed 11/1/23]; Wikipedia Japan https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%BF%91%E8%97%A4%E7%B4%AB%E9%9B%B2 [accessed 3-23-24]

Born 近藤三男 (Kondō Mitsuo?) in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, Kondō was a nihonga (modern Japanese-style) artist who was also an illustrator, designing kuchi-e for various magazines. He also contributed designs to two woodblock print series, Comparison of New Ukiyo-e Style Beauties, 1918-1924 and Pictures of the Taishō Earthquake, 1926, both shown below. It is reported that he created the last woodblock printed frontispiece for the literary magazine Bungei kurabu (Literary Club). Other than the above, no information is readily available on this artist.