Description
One of six untitled designs in the set Collection of Views of the Moto-Hakone Minami Mountain Villa. Privately commissioned by the Iwasaki family, the set was published in 1935 and sold to foreign visitors when the villa was turned into a hotel before WWII. This impression does not have a Watanabe seal.
About the artist
Regarded as a major Japanese landscape artist of the 20th century, Hasui Kawase’s prints are characterized by their serenity of mood and flawless composition. Born Bunjiro Kawase in Tokyo, Hasui Kawase was the son of a silk braid merchant. He began his artistic career studying Japanese-style painting with Kiyokata, as well as Western-style at the Hakubakai. His talent was clear, exhibiting in the Tatsumi Exhibition of Painting at age 19. However, soon after seeing Shinsui’s series Eight Views of Lake Biwa, Hasui turned his attention to woodblock printing in 1919. Shozaburo Watanabe was the first to recognize his artistic genius and Hasui Kawase soon became the most popular artist working for this prestigious publisher. Hasui traveled widely in Japan and his subjects consisted mostly of his surroundings. These Japanese landscape prints are based upon small, quick sketches and watercolors taken from nature. Unfortunately, during the earthquake of 1923, all of his woodblocks and over 200 sketches were destroyed. The works that predate this event are extremely scarce and in great demand today. Undaunted, Hasui continued to produce his landscape prints. In 1956, the Japanese government’s Committee for the Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage designated Hasui's Zojo Temple in Snow and the documentation of its production as Intangible Cultural Treasures, the greatest artistic honor in postwar Japan. All of Hasui Kawase Japanese landscape artwork prints are signed “Hasui” usually with a variety of red seals reading “sui.” Though Watanabe published the majority of Hasui Kawase’s prints, Doi, Kawaguchi, Sakai and others published some designs as well.