Artist: Kawase Hasui
Medium: Original Japanese Woodblock Print
Series Title: Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition
Edition: S. Watanabe Copyright Seal; as shown in the Hotei catalog.
Date: 1934
Publisher: S. Watanabe Color Print Co.
Reference No.: Hotei #327
Size: 15 -1/2 x 10 -1/4 "
Condition: Very fine.
Notes:
The composition belongs to Hasui's series, Collection of Scenic Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition. Art historians and critics, including the prominent scholar Narazaki Muneshige, have praised the piece for its striking and unusual composition. Hasui captures the scene from a distinctively low perspective, looking up toward the bridge. The bold, rich vermilion railings of the Yakumo Bridge in the foreground cut sharply against the pristine white blanket of heavy snow and a muted blue sky. Slender pine trees bow under the weight of the winter storm, and a lone figure carrying a traditional umbrella quietly crosses the bridge, disappearing faintly into the snow-obscured background.
Narazaki writes: "This is a fine example of a Hasui snowscape. The primary reason for its success is the unusual composition, which depicts the Yakumo Bridge from a lower vantage point. The slender pines are blanketed in a heavy snow. The passageway is faint and obscured by the snow, and it contrasts with the thick, boldly colored vermilion railings in the foreground." – Hotei Vol. 1; pg.100