Hiroaki Takahashi was born in
Tokyo, Japan, in 1871. As a young artist he was given the artistic name Shotei by his uncle, Matsumoto Fuko, under whose tutelage he was apprenticing. Watanabe helped to fulfill the Western demand for newly-styled
ukiyo-e woodblock prints which would be similar to familiar historical masters of that genre, especially
Hiroshige. In about 1921 Shotei added the artistic name of Hiroaki. In 1923 the
Great Kanto earthquake (and subsequent fire) destroyed Watanabe's facilities; this included all woodblocks. Thus, Shotei recreated prior designs destroyed in the Great Kanto earthquake and produced new woodblocks in the
shin-hanga style. Shotei died of pneumonia on February 11, 1945. the
Princeton University Art Museum, the
Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the
University of Michigan Museum of Art, the
National Museum of Asian Art, the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the
Arizona State University Art Museum, the
Brunnier Art Museum, the
Honolulu Museum of Art, and the
Saint Louis Art Museum. == Gallery ==