Hasui, Kawase (1883 - 1957), "Tsuta Marsh, Mutsu (Pre-Earthquake)"

Notes: S. Watanabe 6 mm seal in lower right. Complete, with series title seal in lower left margin; absent in the example shown in Hotei.

The Tsuta spa is located on the way from the Furumaki station on the Tohoku main rail-line to Lake Towada, about one ri [4 km] into the mountains from the Shozan bridge. The Shozan bridge spans the Oirase river. There are seven marshes of different sizes in the vicinity of the spa. This one, the Tsuta marsh, is outstanding because of its intimate feel as seen, for example, in the densely vegetated bank and the color of the tranquil water. I felt as if I were looking at a picture from an old story-book: the scene is set in the early hours of the morning, and the two men in a small boat pull in a net set the night before. - Hotei Vol. 1; pg. 52

'Hasui began working on this (Souvenirs of Travel) series in the summer of 1919, and it was completed in the autumn of the following year. Each of the sixteen images of Souvenirs was based on the sketches that Hasui had made during his travels from Sendai to Kanazawa. Hasui apparently enjoyed traveling, particularly when unplanned, and during his lifetime he journeyed extensively throughout Japan. Compared with his first landscapes of Shiobara, this work shows a refinement in Hasui's style, particularly in the use of a more delicate line and a strengthening of the lyrical quality. While Hasui is no doubt indebted to the Ukiyo-e tradition of landscape prints as seen in the works by print designers such as Utagawa Hiroshige, Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hasui has nevertheless developed his own style in the treatment of the overall composition and in the color harmonies. As a result, this series marked an important point in Hasui's evolution as a landscape artist.' - The New Wave; pg. 142

A VERY EARLY PRE-EARTHQUAKE HASUI WORK.