Artist: Kawase Hasui
Medium: Original Japanese Woodblock Print
Series Title: Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, Eastern Japan
Edition: S. Watanabe Seal
Date: 1932
Publisher: S. Watanabe Color Print Co.
Reference No.: Hotei #291
Size: 15 -1/2 x 10 -1/2 "
Condition: Very fine
Notes:
The composition captures the historic Godaidō Temple—a structure dedicated to the Five Wisdom Kings—perched dramatically on the edge of a cliff overlooking Matsushima Bay. A massive, snow-laden ancient pine tree hangs gracefully over the water, framing the left side of the composition. The deep red accents of the temple structure break through the dominant winter hues, standing partially veiled by a soft, falling flurry. The series, A Collection of Scenic Views of Japan, consisted of twenty-five landscape images designed from 1932 to 1936. The series title does not appear on these prints, leading to the speculation that they were not conceived as a coherent group. Perhaps its creation was a marketing tool to solicit subscription orders from collectors.
As described by Narazaki: 'The simple compositional forms in this piece are only natural given that this is a snowscape. But it differs from Hasui's work to date. The three-dimensional arrangement of the rock and the soft, curvilinear lines of the temple building, pine tree and ripples on the water add to the design-oriented sense of this print. Perhaps it was Hasui's about-face to the limits of realism, but it can be seen as a new attempt in the search for a fluent style.
The 260 islands of Matsushima Bay, are collectively considered one of the "Three Most Scenic Spots of Japan." Even legendary haiku poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) struggled to describe the beauty he encountered here on the coast of Miyagi Prefecture in Tohoku. The other two beauty spots of Japan consist of Amanohashidate and Itsukushima.