Kawase Hasui

Kawase Hasui was a master of the Japanese landscape print. After beginning a lifelong collaboration with the publisher Watanabe Shozaburo in 1918, Hasui depicted virtually every mood in all the seasons, from somber moonlit night scenes to daytime views lit warmly by the sun. In many designs Hasui explored the contrast between light and dark. His palette ranged from austere blues and grays to icy winterscapes of limited color to cool autumn views and brightly colored summer scenes. His vision was an evocative one in its presentation of the Japanese countryside, with it's lakes, mountains, fields, rivers, and hotsprings, as well as the cityscape, with its shrines, temples, bridges, streets, canals and warehouses. One interesting aspect of Hasui's art was his limited use of the human figure: most of his prints have no figures at all, while those that do typically include only one or two. The significance of these figures in Hasui's printmaking has been a matter for speculation. Whether they represented the artist himself, were meant to add some psychological meaning appropriate to the scene, or were simply conventional features of the landscapes and cityscapes may be forever open to interpretation. His figures are often seen from behind and are frequently placed at the edges or in the background of the composition. Their isolation adds a sense of poignancy that is a trademark of the Hasui style.

Kawase Hasui Images:
Autumn at Intake
Moon At Magome
Pagoda in the Moonlight
Summer, Benton Shrine, Sheba
Winter At Arashiyama
Yuki Falls at Shipboard