Hasui 巴水: Magical evening view of “Kozu, Osaka” 大阪高津 (Sold)

Artist: Kawase Hasui 川瀬巴水  (1883-1957)
Title: Kôzu, Osaka 大阪高津 
Series: Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (Tabi miyage dai sanshû)
Date: 1924 (Taishô 13)

Hasui captures perfectly a specific place and time, transporting the viewer to a moonlit promontory overlooking Osaka in early evening. Narazaki wrote this description “Positioned on a promontory, the Kozu shrine is bathed in moonlight. Deserted, it has grown still. The Osaka streets below come alive: the lights in the evening fog look like the smoldering tips of cigarettes. Night has just fallen, and a solitary bright star burns bright in the dark blue sky. It is clear from Hasui’s sketch that he has meticulously and realistically depicted details of the building, such as the architectural supports. Hasui creates a print based not only on emotion but also portrays the subject with great precision...Judging from this composition, Hasui’s style at this time is becoming more decisive.” This example has very strong purples on the horizon and greens on the foreground landscape, as it is completely unfaded and has never been framed. This work is shown full page in the Narazaki catalogue raisonné and is the cover image for "Dreams and Diversions: Essays on Japanese Woodblock Prints" by Andreas Marks (Editor).

With the Hasui seal right margin that was in use beginning in 1930.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Mint.
Dimensions: ôban (39 x 26.2 cm)
Publisher: Watanabe Shôzaburô
Literature: Kendall H. Brown, Kawase Hasui: The complete woodblock prints, 2003, no. 118. Kendall H. Brown, Visions of Japan: Kawase Hasui's Masterpieces, 2004, p. 51, no. 15. Carolyn M. Putney, et al., Fresh Impressions: Early Modern Japanese Prints, Toledo Museum of Art, 2013, p. 136, cat. no. 81. 
Signature: Hasui

SKU: HAS589