Label Type
Artist BioLabel
Kawase Hasui was one of the most prolific artists of the shin-hanga (new prints) landscape genre. He created approximately 600 landscape prints during his career, and throughout this body of work, there is an aesthetic cohesion that few other Japanese woodblock print artists achieved. His landscapes are beautiful and serene, but they have often been criticized for their monotony. His adhesion to only one style makes sense when the art market he had to appease in order to make a living is considered. Satisfying publishers and his general audience was the priority, even if it limited his creative freedom. Despite this, Kawase Hasui created tranquil, elegant scenes that continually inspire viewers. Shortly before his death, Hasui was awarded the title of Living National Treasure by the Japanese government, one of the oldest and highest honors for an artist in Japan.Label Type
Object LabelLabel
Hasui was a participant in shin-hanga (new prints): a Japanese art movement in the early 20th century that revitalized traditional ukiyo-e art and preserved the commercial, publisher-centered system of producing woodblock prints. Because Hasui’s role was to create designs that would be profitable to his publisher, they had to be universally appealing. This particular print illustrates Hasui’s talent for creating an elegant, yet intriguing landscape. The full moon partially obscured by mysterious clouds, the tree branches that seem like fingers reaching down, and the light-filled window of a solitary home all invite the viewer to let their imagination expand the narrative of the scene.