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<b>NISHIKURA BEACH, ATAMI</b> / Kawase Hasui1940<B>SOLD</B></em>
ARTIST: Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)
TITLE: Nishikura Beach, Atami
MEDIUM: Woodblock
DATE: 1939
DIMENSIONS: 15 3/8 x 10 1/4 inches
CONDITION: Pristine, with sharp and vivid colors—no condition problems to note
LITERATURE: Kendall H. Brown, Kawase Hasui: The Complete Woodblock Prints, 2003, pl. 439
NOTE: Watanabe C-Type seal—first-state
SOLD
Details
A lone fisherman, whose silhouette appears very similar to that of the artist, fishes among rocks and waves. The fickle colors of twilight descend across the horizon and are caught against the rocks as the waves break. Perhaps this fisherman is not out to catch dinner but yet another masterful design for his woodblock prints. Despite the turbulence of the waves, this design has a spellbinding stillness enhanced by the masterful printing effects. The green pines are printed with a rough quality that mirrors the texture of the rocks—it’s almost as if the late-day colors are caught on varying surfaces found in the design. The print’s colors are so rich and saturated, that one can almost spoon them up. This is a design one can savor for a lifetime.
Connoisseur's Note
This impression, with the scarlet in the sky, is a rare color variant and has much deeper colors throughout the design than the commercial version found in the catalog raisonne. This print is a true time capsule. It was never framed or displayed and was stored in archival boxes. Prints in this pristine condition seldom come up for sale. This is an exceedingly rare opportunity to own a stunning Hasui design with fresh and vivid colors in its original state.
