HASUI KAWASE, Lo stagno del santuario Benten a Shiba, 1929

An excellent example with fine colors, printed on Japanese paper between 1960 and 1980. In perfect condition, with excellent margins all around beyond the margin line. Well-executed bokashi shading throughout the print and light gauffrage on the lotus leaves and the women on the footbridge.
The lower margin bears the title Shiba Benten ike, meaning The Pond of Benten Shrine in Shiba, and the inscription Shōwa yonen hachigatsu saku, meaning executed in August of the fourth year of the Shōwa era, or August 1929.
Originally published by Kawaguchi & Sakai (1929-1930), this edition was published by Shobisha, which acquired the woodblocks from Kawaguchi & Sakai around 1950.

Bibliography
K.H. Brown, Kawase Hasui. The Complete Woodblock Prints, 2003, n. 186
K.H. Brown, Visions Of Japan: Kawase Hasui’s Masterpieces, Hotei, 2004, p. 64

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 revitalize 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 pursue 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 bathed in twilight, rain, or snow. His masterful use of light and shadow and a melancholic sensibility distinguish his work.
While drawing inspiration from ukiyo-e masters like Hiroshige, Hasui introduced Western elements, such as linear perspective and a more pronounced 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 major 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 fascinate collectors with their ability to evoke a nostalgic and timeless Japan.