Matsumi Kanemitsu
Fish Men
1954
Scroll
Matsumi Kanemitsu
Fish Men
1954
Physical Qualities
Pen and black ink on paper, Sheet: 297 × 226 mm. (11 11/16 × 8 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of J. Blankfard Martenet
Object Number
2012.711.42
These idiosyncratic, bugs-and-all images of fishmongers at work reflect deep familiarity with his subjects. When Kanemitsu moved to New York City in the early 1950s, he rented a room near the Fulton Fish Market and continued to live and work near the East River throughout the 1950s. He would later recall befriending the fishermen in the neighborhood, even renting his studio to them to shoot dice in exchange for oysters, clams, lobster, and shrimp.
Leslie Cozzi, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Matsumi Kanemitsu: Figure and Fantasy," May 14 - October 8, 2023.
Inscribed: Recto: lower right, in black ink: "Kanemitsu / 54"; Verso: upper left, in graphite: "#3177 / FISH MEN / 1954 / JBM"
Markings: None
