Kawase Hasui, designated as a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government, is one of the most significant and prolific woodblock printmakers in modern Japan. He was a well-known designer of the "new prints" movement, or shin-hanga, whose artists portrayed conventional subjects in a manner influenced by Western art. Hasui himself studied western style painting, which he would go on to incorporate with traditional Japanese taste and styling at the time.
Similar to many earlier ukiyo-e prints, Hasui frequently created landscapes with dramatic atmospheric effects such as light, sunrise, dusk, rain, and snow. Like the famous Hiroshige before him, Hasui created “traveling prints," in which he would literally travel around the country, sketching and painting watercolors of locals and landscapes. Hasui’s landscapes featured locales that were tranquil and obscure. Unlike earlier ukiyo-e artists, Hiroshige and Hokusai mostly made prints of famous landmarks and popular locations, often containing titles and captions, a style that was a hallmark of their times.
In 1920, Hasui released his first falling snow print to resounding international praise, quickly becoming his most recognizable and sought-after subject matter. The purification of the earth after a snowfall, contrasted with the bright red of Hasui’s temple prints, remains some of his best and most original work.
