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<b>KIYOSUBASHI</b> / Kawase Hasui1931<b>SOLD</b></em>
ARTIST: Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
TITLE: Kiyosubashi Bridge
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1931
PUBLISHER: S. Watanabe Print Co.
DIMENSIONS: 10 1/8 x 15 5/8
CONDITION: Pristine, with sharp and vivid colors—no condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Kendall H. Brown, Kawase Hasui: The Complete Woodblock Prints, 2003, pl. 246A
NOTE: Watanabe G-Type Seal; early pre-war printing
ARTIST: Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
TITLE: Kiyosubashi Bridge
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1931
PUBLISHER: S. Watanabe Print Co.
DIMENSIONS: 10 1/8 x 15 5/8
CONDITION: Pristine, with sharp and vivid colors—no condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Kendall H. Brown, Kawase Hasui: The Complete Woodblock Prints, 2003, pl. 246A
NOTE: Watanabe G-Type Seal; early pre-war printing
ARTIST: Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
TITLE: Kiyosubashi Bridge
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1931
PUBLISHER: S. Watanabe Print Co.
DIMENSIONS: 10 1/8 x 15 5/8
CONDITION: Pristine, with sharp and vivid colors—no condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Kendall H. Brown, Kawase Hasui: The Complete Woodblock Prints, 2003, pl. 246A
NOTE: Watanabe G-Type Seal; early pre-war printing
Details
This design is a rare glimpse of a contemporary landscape by this artist. By and large, most of Hasui’s oeuvre harkens back to Japan’s past, before the modern era’s steel and industry. In this design we find a contemporary iron bridge proudly stretching across the field of vision. It makes no excuses—its composition is solid, robust, and unwavering. Hasui, however, surrounds this brawny structure with the poetics of the natural world. The hazy effect that surrounds the bridge softens the steel structure and the subtle purple cloud that descends from the center right seems to reclaim this manmade arrangement to that of the natural world. The water below distorts the bridge even further, rendering it into an unrecognizable mix of soft colors.
Connoisseur's Note
This print is a true time capsule. It was never framed or displayed and was stored in archival boxes. Prints in this pristine condition seldom come up for sale. This is an exceedingly rare opportunity to own a stunning Hasui design with fresh and vivid colors in its original state.
