Hasui, Kawase (1883 – 1957), “Snow at Shirahige (Pre-Earthquake)”

Notes: Pencil notation on the reverse. Artist's red seal. S. Watanabe 6 mm seal in left of design. Snow at Shirahige was the ninth print in the Twelve subject series. 'There has been a blizzard since this morning...I made up my mind to go to the Hyakukaen in this incessant snow and en route, from the foot of the Shirahige bridge, I was able to see across Imado and decided to do this Yuki no Shirahige'. Hasui's interest were not limited to the play between light and shade, but also extended to the treatment of various climatic conditions, particularly, as evinced in this work, with snow. Hasui's choice of illustrating snowy scenes has caused scholars such as the eminent Narazaki Muneshige to describe him as the 'artist of snow'. Certainly in this respect Hasui follows in the tradition of his Edo-period Ukiyo-e forebears; yet Narazaki is careful to point out that while the subject itself - the snow scene - was not novel, Hasui's prints do reach a new level in technique. It is in this regard that Hasui can certainly be seen innovative". - The New Wave; pg. 143 Taken from the artist's journal: "It is said that the vestiges of earlier times have now completely disappeared, but Mukojima still retains its former appearance, and this imbues it with a unique charm. On this particular day, it had been snowing heavily since the morning. I left home in this incessant snow to visit the Hyakka garden. En route I happened upon this scene - a view towards the lmado ferry from the foot of Shirahige bridge - and thus depicted this 'Snow at Shirahige'." - Hotei Vol. 1; pg. 56