JAPANESE WOODBLOCK PRINT-GENUINE-KAWASE HASUI

'SPRING NIGHT AT INOKASHIRA'   1931

Unframed print on medium hand made washi paper. Shows a tranquil moonlit lakeside spring blossom scene. Strong key lines give great strength to the dark trees creating a back drop to the delicate nature of the spring blossom. The reflective mood of the water is created by using good bokashi (colour graduation) with small tree squiggles and innovative carving of the water shoreline, completing the sense of  tranquillity. The bokashi in the sky is particularly good.  Size of the image: 240x365, paper size: 265x395.  Very good impression. no crease, folds, rips or tears, very good colour, good bleed through verso, clean and loose,

Undistributed. Aquired directly from the publisher, Watanabe. Brushed Hasui signature BR. Red Kawase seal below. 7mm Watanabe seal right centre image edge. Red Watanabe Heisei seal, BR margin indicates this is a genuine impression from the block of 1931 produced during the Heisei period, post 1989.

Kawase Hasui  1883-1957

Born Tokyo. His childhood was associated with theatre, he did set designs in the 1940's and 1950's for Kabuki. From early development he was captivated by landscapes, snow, rain and mist. He studied western style art in 1907, especially landscapes. He was a pupil of Kaburogi Kiyokata who gave him the name Hasui.  Hasui worked extensively designing landscape prints for publisher, Watanabe and from WW2 his work was used by the Japanese government to represent the softer side of Japanes life in tourist publications. Hasui produced over 600 landscape images during his lifetime to become recognised as the best landscape artist since Hiroshige.

Note:  No Hidden Reserve Price