Artist: Kawase Hasui
Medium: Original Japanese Woodblock Print
Series Title: Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition
Edition: First
Date: April, 1933
Publisher: S. Watanabe Color Print Co.
Reference No.: Hotei #318
Size: 15 -1/4 x 10 -1/4 "
Condition: Mint, with superb colors
Notes:
Far superior to the example shown in Hotei. Carver: Watanabe Tadasu. S. Watanabe seal in lower right margin. "Made in Japan", stamped on verso. Provenance: Robert O. Muller Collection.
According to Narazaki, 'Following WW II, the row of houses in the Soemon district changed so much that the atmosphere and richness in sentiment as seen in this picture has long disappeared. This image recalls the joruri musical of the playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon [1653-1724]: paper lanterns hang under the eaves, burning quietly at dusk, the shadows of the lights cast by wickets upon the street make the surrounding darkness more profound. The composition of row houses, the couple walking together, two kamuro attendants and the shadow of the figures in the distance are drawn exceptionally'.