Night at Shinkawa

Artist: Kawase Hasui

Name: Night at Shinkawa

Date: 1919

Description: Saturday, 11 November 2006 Original 1919 “Night at Shinkawa” (“Yoru no Shinkawa”) woodblock by Kawase Hasui, from his early “Twelve Scenes of Tokyo” series. This is one of Hasui’s earliest prints (Narazaki #28) from a total of of over 600 lifetime images. Printed July 1919, all remaining copies of this print are extremely rare today–as a PRE-earthquake print, all of Hasui’s pre-1923 woodblock “block-sets” were destroyed during the fires which ravaged publisher Watanabe Shozaburo’s business along with much of Tokyo print during the Great Tokyo 1923 Earthquake. Condition is overall Very Good, especially considering age of this print. Strong, deep colors. Clean front and verso. Light to moderate toning; a faint matline in print’s outer margin; and few faint scattered spots to margin; light wear. Typical of Watanabe Publisher’s early prints, this print’s impression is Very Fine. Skillfully executed “bokashi” shading; light “gauffrage” (embossing) to building’s outlines; baren “sujizuri” (circular tracings) to walls; crisp key-lines. A beautifully illuminated Hasui design, with two tiny “star-shaped” stars in sky.

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