HASUI KAWASE, Il giardino degli iris del santuario Meiji, 1951

An excellent example with superb colors. Printed on Japanese paper in the second half of the Shōwa era between 1960 and 1989. In perfect condition, with excellent margins all around beyond the marginal line.
The seals impressed on the right margin refer to the publisher Watanabe; the upper inscription on the left margin is the title: Meiji Jingū Shōbuden, meaning Iris Garden at Meiji Shrine; while the lower inscription is the dating: Shōwa nijūrokunen saku, executed in the twenty-sixth year of the Shōwa era, i.e., 1951.

Bibliography
K.H. Brown, Kawase Hasui. The Complete Woodblock Prints, 2003, no. 570

Kawase Hasui (Tokyo 1883-1957) was one of the most celebrated Japanese artists of the Shin-hanga ("new prints") movement, which flourished in the early decades of the 20th century. This movement aimed to renew the tradition of ukiyo-e prints by combining classical techniques with modern sensibilities and Western influences.
Born in Tokyo, Hasui initially studied traditional Japanese painting (Nihonga) under the guidance of Kaburagi Kiyokata, who later encouraged him to dedicate himself to prints. In 1918, he began collaborating with the famous publisher Shōzaburō Watanabe, a pioneer of the Shin-hanga movement. This collaboration was decisive: under Watanabe's direction, Hasui created hundreds of prints that became famous for their extraordinary atmosphere and technical refinement.
Hasui is best known for his poetic landscape views. His prints depict Japanese temples, gardens, cities, and countrysides, often enveloped in twilight, rain, or snow. His masterful use of light and shadow and a melancholic sensibility distinguish his work.
While inspired by ukiyo-e masters like Hiroshige, Hasui introduced Western elements, such as linear perspective and a more accentuated realism in his landscapes.
In 1956, one year before his death, Kawase Hasui was designated a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government, an honor reserved for artists considered fundamental to the preservation of Japan's traditional arts.
His works are now housed in important museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Hasui's prints continue to influence artists and captivate collectors with their ability to evoke a nostalgic and timeless Japan.