Artist: Kawase Hasui
Medium: Original Japanese Woodblock Print
Series Title: Souvenirs of Travel II
Edition: First and only
Date: 1921
Publisher: S. Watanabe Color Print Co.
Reference No.: Hotei #71
Size: 10 -1/2 x 15 1/4 "
Condition: Very fine, with superb colors
Notes:
One of the finest pre-quake scenes by the artist. From the series Tabi miyage dai nishu (Souvenirs of Travel II), signed and sealed, 'Hasui'. Dated: Taisho 10 (1921) August. Published by Watanabe Shozaburo.
The image depicts a group of fishermen on boats encountering a storm off the coast of Urahama in Echigo Province. Hasui places the viewer at the center of the scene, from a vantage point at sea. This approach contributes to a sense of depth and texture, visible by the representation of the jagged cliffs. He often represents the sea as tranquil and atmospheric, but here he captures its raw, ferocious power. The ocean is printed in a deep blue that intensifies towards the crests of the waves; the block-cut lines delineating the sea add a further sense of movement and texture. White sea-foam crashes against the cliffs, which have an almost pointillist feel, while heavy rain cuts diagonally across the scene in long, slightly arched white lines.