View from Takatsu in Osaka, from the series Souvenirs of Travel III

Artist Hasui Kawase (Japanese, 1883–1957)

Date1924

MediumColor woodblock print

Dimensions14 3/8 × 9 1/2 inches (36.5 × 24.1 cm)

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Henry T. Gayley

Terms

Prints
Wood block color print
Japanese

Object number74.079.002

Label CopyHasui was an accomplished painter who studied both nihonga (Japanese painting) and Western watercolor painting. His talents gained the attention of the print publisher Watanabe Shozaburo, for whom he worked for many decades, and Hasui became best known for his print designs. Hasui’s mastery of atmosphere, light, and shadow are particularly apparent in his night scenes that evoke a quiet, serene mood. The moon itself does not appear in this scene but its light brightens the stone paving beneath the viewing pavilion. A single star is seen in the sky as the lights of the city of Osaka shimmer in the distance. (“Moon," curated by Ellen Avril and presented at the Johnson Museum August 25, 2018-January 13, 2019)

Collections