Artist: Kawase Hasui
Medium: Original Watercolor on Paper
Series Title: Rain
Edition: Original Painting
Date: April 15th, 1951
Publisher: The Artist
Reference No.: Uncatalogued Original Painting
Size: 22 -1/4 x 16 -1/2 "
Condition: Very fine, with superb colors
Notes:
Signed and sealed in red square chop: 'Hasui'. Dated: April 15th, 1951 (showa nijurokunen shigatsu jugonichi). A lone woman hunches beneath a large umbrella during a downpour. Dilapidated timber-built inns line the road, while a lingering mist slowly traverses the dramatic backdrop of Kiso Valley.
This c.1950s watercolor painting exhibits a lifetime accumulation of artistic techniques, styles, and influences by one of modern Japan's most important and prolific artists.
The Kiso Valley is located in Nagano Prefecture, and runs alongside the mountains of the Central Alps. An ancient 70 km trade route called the Kisoji was developed along the valley and served as a very important means of commerce in the area. The Kisoji became even more important from the beginning of the Edo Period (1603-1868), when it was amalgamated with other routes in the formation of the 500 km long Nakasendo. The Nakasendo ("path through mountains") was one of the two main routes that connected Edo and Kyoto. It contrasted with the other principal transportation route of the time, the Tokaido, which ran along the seashore. Because of restrictions by the shogunate, travelers were almost always forced to make their trips on foot. As a result, "post towns" developed every few kilometers to provide travelers with places to rest, eat and find nightly accommodation during their arduous journey.