Hasui 巴水: Dawn at Mount Fuji 明ゆく富士 (Sold)

Artist: Kawase Hasui 巴水 (1883-1957)
Title: Dawn at Mount Fuji 明ゆく富士 
Date: Undated [1942-43]

Breathtaking view of the incomparable Mount Fuji, its peak ablaze in the reflected fire of daybreak. This work somehow brings to mind Hokusai’s South Wind, Clear Weather (Red Fuji), but it seems to be a type of homage to Fuji as the spiritual monument of Japan at the height (or nadir) of WWII. Wartime production of prints was of course limited and we can assume  tightly controlled by the military government, so it is not surprising that this work rarely comes to market. This print features delightfully perfect colors–completely unfaded, with colors that are stronger than the example shown in Hotei. With the seal of the famed printer Ono Gintaro beneath the Watanabe seal that was used between 1943-1945. First Edition.  Scarce.

Condition: Excellent impression and color; very good condition.
Dimensions: ôban (27 x 39.5 cm)
Publisher: Watanabe Shôzaburô
Literature:Kendall Brown, Kawase Hasui: The complete woodblock prints, 2003, no. 467. See the VMFA collection online for the René Balcer example.
Seal: Ono Gintaro
Signature: Hasui with Kawase seal

SKU: HAS583