Details

In Takino River, Kawase Hasui offers a serene evening view that pulses with quiet intimacy and poetic restraint. A mother and child cross a footbridge at dusk, their figures modest in scale beneath the weight of darkened foliage. Above them, a slender crescent moon hangs in a sky of deepening blue, gently anchoring the composition in the passage of time. The river below catches the glow of lit windows—warm reflections trembling across cool currents—as twilight settles over a scene imbued with gentle rhythm and familial calm.

The trees, densely leafed and towering, create a natural canopy that shelters the soft human presence beneath. This impression’s precise use of bokashi (graded shading) allows the light to shift subtly across the sky, water, and foliage, creating layers of depth and mood. This is a print of quiet gestures: a paused step, a hand held, a lantern flickering behind closed shoji. It celebrates the grace of the everyday, the harmony between natural stillness and domestic warmth.

Connoisseur's Note

Takino River stands among Hasui’s most lyrical urban compositions, blending traditional woodblock technique with an evocative, modern sensibility. Published in 1929 by Watanabe Shōzaburō, this particular impression bears the highly sought-after Watanabe A-type seal, indicating a first-state printing issued shortly after the design’s initial release. These early impressions are prized for their depth of color, finely preserved linework, and subtle pigment application.

The presence of the A-type seal adds a layer of historical and collector significance to an already poetic work. Here, Hasui distills the mood of a passing moment into a timeless composition—where the interplay of light, shadow, and silence invites the viewer into a world just beyond reach, yet entirely familiar. A rare and exquisite example of Shin-Hanga refinement at its peak.