Hasui 川瀬 巴水: Watercolor Painting Tsubosaka Temple in Rain (Sold)

Artist: Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
Title: Watercolor Painting of Tsubosaka Temple in Rain
Date: Ca. 1950s

Tsubosakadera no ame. Large original watercolor of Tsubosaka Temple in the rain. We see two visitors departing the entrance gate, descending towards the green woods behind the temple.Tsubosaka-dera Temple is also known as Minami Hokkeji Temple in Nara, and was built around 717 AD, and is still known as a temple of healing. The paved temple path and shallow puddle to the right show subtle reflections. There are many layers that show depth, as in all of Hasui’s best compositions. The rain has been depicted using a gofun (a shell-based, chalk-like) pigment.  The late curator of the Ota City Folk Museum Hisao Shimizu believed that there are three types of watercolors done by Hasui; an original for print design; ones intended for exhibition (signed with “hanga-do”); and by request for collectors who liked his prints, perhaps for a design close to their area of residence. Hasui created a similar view in 1950 in his print “Tsubosaka Temple in Yamato Province,” published by Watanabe (Hotei/Brown number 545). In that view the two visitors are pilgrims and it is a clear evening, but the viewpoint is very much the same. This dealer would surmise that this work was done by request following the publication of the woodblock print. Titled “Tsubosakadera...” in left margin. Undated.

Dimensions: 48.9 x 37.5 cm
Seal: Artist’s seal
Signature: Hasui

SKU: HACS101