Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
Tenno-ji Temple in Osaka (Osaka Tenno-ji), from the series Souvenirs of Travel, Third Series (Tabi miyage dai sanshu), 1927
Woodblock print
Signed: 'Hasui'
Artist's seal: 'Kawase'
Dated: Showa 2 (1927)
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo (Hotei seal C, consistent with printing 1927-32)
Signed: 'Hasui'
Artist's seal: 'Kawase'
Dated: Showa 2 (1927)
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo (Hotei seal C, consistent with printing 1927-32)
Vertical oban:
38.7 x 26.3 cm. (15 ¼ x 10 ⅜ in.)
38.7 x 26.3 cm. (15 ¼ x 10 ⅜ in.)
Very good impression, colour and overall condition. Very slight toning, a few light marks to margins. Typical pinhole to top left corner.
£ 16,000.00
A solitary figure with a parasol wanders through the precincts of the Shitenno-ji [lit. Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings] in Osaka. The figure pauses in front of the vermillion...
A solitary figure with a parasol wanders through the precincts of the Shitenno-ji [lit. Temple of
the Four Heavenly Kings] in Osaka. The figure pauses in front of the vermillion corridor of the
temple directly ahead. Snow falls heavily, shrouding the temple’s main hall (kondo) and receding
five-storied pagoda beyond in a progressively darkening grey haze. Hasui’s abilities as a great
observer of architecture are evident here. He skilfully rendered ornate and intricate details, such
as the complex bracket systems (tokyo) and curved eaves of the shrine and temple structures
with fine detail. The solitary figure adds a poignancy to the nocturnal setting, conveying a
nostalgia for a Japan which had by this time had already changed significantly.
Another impression is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accession no. 49.122, go to:
https://collections.mfa.org/objects/252968
For the original hand-painted watercolour for this print in the collection of the Edo Tokyo Museum, collection ID 93202461, go to: