Snow at Hie Shrine (Shato No Yuki Hie) c1931 - Kawase Hasui - Japanese Vintage Woodblock Ukiyo-e Print

Snow at Hie Shrine (Shato no Yuki Hie), c. 1931 – Kawase Hasui Snow at Hie Shrine by Kawase Hasui portrays the quiet beauty of Tokyo’s Hie Shrine transformed beneath a blanket of winter snow. The traditional shrine architecture, snow-covered trees, and softly falling snow create a serene and contemplative atmosphere. Hasui’s subtle palette, delicate handling of light, and masterful depiction of seasonal scenery exemplify the refined Shin-hanga woodblock tradition, evoking the timeless tranquility of winter in Japan.

Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) was one of the most prolific of all shin hanga ("new prints") printmakers and is regarded by many as one of the most talented Japanese landscape artist of the 20th Century. Kawase’s landscapes are markedly modern, yet they yearn for a Japan past and rest upon traditional virtues of delicacy, poise and restraint.   Hasui loved to travel and would often paint watercolors of Japan's most beautiful places.. In 1952, the Japanese government officially recognized Kawase Hasui as a Living National Treasure.