Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
Signed: 'Hasui'
Artist's seal: 'Kawase'
Dated: 'Showa ninen saku' [Showa 2] (made, 1927)
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo (Hotei seal C, consistent with printing 1927-32)
38.7 x 26.3 cm. (15 ¼ x 10 ⅜ in.)
A solitary figure with a parasol wanders through the precincts of the Shitenno-ji [lit. Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings] in Osaka. The figure pauses in front of the vermillion corridor of the temple directly ahead. Snow falls heavily, shrouding the temple’s main hall (kondo) and receding five-storied pagoda beyond in a progressively darkening grey haze. Hasui’s abilities as a great observer of architecture are abundantly evident here. He skilfully rendered ornate and intricate details, such as the complex bracket systems (tokyo) and curved eaves of the shrine and temple structures with fine detail. The solitary figure adds a poignancy to the nocturnal setting, conveying a nostalgia for a Japan which had by this time had already changed significantly.
https://collections.mfa.org/objects/252968
For the original hand-painted watercolour for this print in the collection of the Edo Tokyo Museum, collection ID 93202461, go to: