Artist: Kawase Hasui
Medium: Original Japanese Woodblock Print
Series Title:
Edition: First and only.
Date: 1931
Publisher: S. Watanabe Color Print Co.
Reference No.: Hotei #262
Size: 19 x 9 -1/4 " (Naga-ban Format)
Condition: Very fine, with superb colors.
Notes:
Far superior to the example shown in Hotei. Narazaki writes: "Aspects such as the feel of the deep, irregular striations on the surface of the rocks has parallels in Hasui's earlier works. This is an excellent piece in the depiction of the power and the volume of the water." - Hotei Vol. 1; pg. 90
It is interesting to compare this nagaban (long format) with Hasui's print of the Yuhi Cascade (Hotei #25) of eleven years earlier. By this time, Hasui has lost the stiffness of his early work and has effectively captured the feel of the crashing waterfall at Nikko. Narazaki describes this print as a 'masterpiece' of this period and that it was a successful design is attested to the fact that a very similar design was used in 1937 for the Bijutsusha in the series Ukiyo-e monyo shu. - The New Wave; pg. 148
The one-hundred meter high Kegon falls is part of the Nikko national park and is located near Lake Chuzenji. The brilliant autumnal foliage attracts a large number of tourists, no doubt a reason for the artists depiction of the falls at this time of the year.