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<b>KUJUKUSHIMA, SHIMABARA</b> / Kawase Hasui1937<b>SOLD</b></em>
ARTIST: Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
TITLE: Kujukushima, Shimabara
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1937
DIMENSION: 10 7/8 x 16 inches
PUBLISHER: S. Watanabe Print Co.
CONDITION: Pristine, with sharp and vivid colors—no condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Kendall H. Brown, Kawase Hasui: The Complete Woodblock Prints, 2003, pl. 412
NOTE: Watanabe F-Type Seal; early pre-war printing
ARTIST: Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
TITLE: Kujukushima, Shimabara
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1937
DIMENSION: 10 7/8 x 16 inches
PUBLISHER: S. Watanabe Print Co.
CONDITION: Pristine, with sharp and vivid colors—no condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Kendall H. Brown, Kawase Hasui: The Complete Woodblock Prints, 2003, pl. 412
NOTE: Watanabe F-Type Seal; early pre-war printing
ARTIST: Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
TITLE: Kujukushima, Shimabara
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1937
DIMENSION: 10 7/8 x 16 inches
PUBLISHER: S. Watanabe Print Co.
CONDITION: Pristine, with sharp and vivid colors—no condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Kendall H. Brown, Kawase Hasui: The Complete Woodblock Prints, 2003, pl. 412
NOTE: Watanabe F-Type Seal; early pre-war printing
Details
This design depicts a still scene with fishermen adrift on a small boat rowing quietly past a tiny island. The beauty of the design lies in the drama of the crimson sky that engulfs the composition. The red billowing clouds push upward, while their reflection move beyond the boat’s reach. Apparently this quiet scene captured the artist’s imagination, as this design is a reworking of a pre-earthquake design known by the same title executed in 1922.
Connoisseur's Note
This impression, with the rich scarlet in the sky and in the water, is a rare color variant and has much deeper colors throughout the design than the commercial version found in the catalog raisonne. 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.
