<b>SUDDEN RAIN AT SHIOBARA HATORI</b>Kawase Hasui1955<b>SOLD</b></em>

Details

A woman clad in a kimono and geta (wooden shoes) navigates the crossing of the river via a humble bridge composed of wooden planks strung together across a winding course. The rain overhead is persistent, but a cottage just ahead promises much-needed refuge from such a precarious stroll. 

The design is austere but charming in its endearing rustic quality, while the long narrow format echoes the bridge’s planks and reinforces the composition’s sense of drama. The design’s printing is what one has come to expect from Watanabe’s masterful printers, as the entire composition demonstrates a striking sense of light and shadow with an astonishing use of bokashi, or color gradation, throughout.

This design is a homecoming of sorts for Hasui, as the subject of the print recalls one of his earliest works—”Hyojogawara, Sendai, 1919.” In this pre-earthquake design, a figure is also navigating a modest wooden bridge over a river. That composition is also configured in the rain and is executed in a long narrow format. It is interesting to consider that Hasui revisited his very earliest compositions at the end of his long and prolific career. 

Connoisseur's Note

This print was issued in a limited edition of 500 impressions. It is hand-numbered 100/500 on the reverse. This print was acquired from the original owner, who never framed or exposed the work to prolong periods of light. The print comes with its original folder. The work is in an exceedingly fine state of preservation, as it is pristine.