Hasui 巴水: Snow at Tsukishima 月島の雪 (Sold)

Artist: Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
Title: Snow at Tsukishima
Series: Twenty Views of Tokyo 京二十景 月
Date: 1930

A man in silhouette is seen making his way along a path through a heavy snowstorm, his red and yellow umbrella providing contrast agains the snow. Narazaki writes “The mood of the distant river, visible here and there amidst the snowstorm, is well done. Hasui is a master of the snowscape and was successful in creating diverse snow scenes in novel ways.” This work was printed completely without an outline keyblock, so the print has a very Impressionistic feeling. The snow blowing against the sky is depicted using both positive and negative space, demonstrating the astonishing expertise of the carvers and printers, whose expertise is no longer to be found anywhere today. According to Toledo (1936), twenty woodblocks were required to create this work, and 25 impressions were taken from the blocks. From the series “Twenty Views of Tokyo.” With the earliest Watanabe seal for this work, right margin. One of Hasui’s finest and most inimitably printed snow scenes, which is saying a lot.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Mint first edition.
Dimensions: ôban 26.2 x 38.5 cm
Publisher: Watanabe
Literature: Narazaki #167; Hotei #163
Seal: Kawase
Signature: Hasui

SKU: HAC163H