Hasui 川瀬巴水: Hataori, Shiobara 塩原畑下り (Printer’s Proof)
Artist: Kawase Hasui 川瀬巴水
Title: Hataori, Shiobara 塩原畑下り
Date: 1946
A Japanese village is hunkered down against an evening snowstorm. A highly desirable evening snowscape, this work was created without any outline keyblock, a technique that must have challenged the carvers and the artist in new ways, as the artist was certainly involved in print production and color separation. The printing technique is fascinating and complex: Particles of blowing snow are depicted as slashes that streak across the landscape, sometimes showing as grey wisps and sometimes appearing as white streaks against the darker background, a brilliant mix of colors and textures for what is certainly a “white” and clumped substance. Indeed, we perceive the outlines of the homes only indirectly, as perhaps what we would experience if were ourselves caught in a blizzard. Hasui has transported us to a village that was familiar to him, as Shiobara was one of Hasui’s favorite places, and he went there to to live to escape the dangers of Tokyo during the war.
This trial print has a sky that has been rendered entirely with shades of blue. Some years ago we handled another trial print (HAS382) that had the sky rendered with many shades of grey and black tones, so this must have been a proof that was printed with an all-blue sky color scheme that was presented as an alternative choice for Hasui and Watanabe to inspect. The yellow in the windows retain their strong yellow pigment, indicating that no fading has occurred to this work. This work was purchased from the collection of a Japanese printer who had also retained many early and mint Hasui designs. This work from the printer’s private collection is an early proof print, as it does not bear even Hasui’s signature or seal.
Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition.
Dimensions: ôban 39.2 x 26.2 cm
Publisher: Watanabe Shôzaburô
Literature:
Seal: Kawase
Signature: Hasui with his seal
SKU: HAS606