Snow at Ueno, Kiyomizudo
Artist: Kawase Hasui
Name: Snow at Ueno, Kiyomizudo
Date: 1929
Description: Kawase- Snow at Ueno, Kiyomizudo- 1.jpg is: Japanese Woodblock by Hasui ‘Snow at Ueno Kiyomizu Temple’ (1929) Beautiful temple scene with bijin under umbrella surrounded by drifting snowfall by Hasui Kawase (1887-1957) titled “Ueno Kiyomizu no Yuki” (translates as “Snow at Ueno Kiyomizu Temple”) and margin-dated originally as “Showa 4” (or 1929). This print was aptly chosen as the frontispiece to the 1986 book by Irwin Prather titled “Kawase Hasui and his Contemprories: The Shin Hanga (New Print) Movement in Landscape Art” (and is in my opinion, Hasui’s finest image?of all). One of 16 Hasui images published during 1929 and 1930 by Kawaguchi & Sakai (and as such, bears no Watanabe seals)?a posthumous edition struck off of the original blocks. Printed by Shobisha Publishers (who acquired the woodblocks when K & S dissolved in 1931). Circa mid-1980’s (OLDER, “mellowed” paper–not new)–to learn more about –to learn more, please click the following link to learn more about “old paper” and Shobisha Publisher, click the following link about “Old Paper.”. SPECIAL NOTE?My previous auction listing’s comments (over the past 2-plus years) regarding this print have been to state that: Consignor has informed me that the Shobisha’s previously remaining and dwindling inventory of this superb print is now “exhausted,” that their skilled printer is now dead, and that none will likely be re-printed until at least the year 2007 at the earliest (assuming a skilled printer can be located at that time). As an additional UPDATE however?-to both his AND my surprise, over just the past couple of months Shobisha HAS done just that, and begun producing freshly printed “strikes” (ie, circa 2001) of this print that you’ll occasionally see elsewhere for sale. Anyway, be advised that although they too are fine prints, they’re simply printed on newer/thinner/brighter paper that lacks the both the texture and “mellowness” of these nearly 20 year older “strikes.” (To learn more, follow above link to article about “Old Paper.”) He now personally holds the ENTIRE remaining “handful” of these EARLIER copies?-at this time, only 7 remain (2/29/2002, now 6). And in a few short months, they’ll be “gone forever.” The workmanship in both carving and printing is simply superb?very nice gradation of colors (“bokashi”) virtually throughout print and is thickly “over-printed” falling snow (“gofun”) which gives the print real “depth” (see last image which is a “side-lite” digital image). Print is in absolute pristine condition?no tears, no stains, no fading–and printed on a nice, heavier weight “hand-made” paper that is simply no longer available today. An absolute superb image!! Image measures 9 3/8 x 14 ? inches.
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