Utagawa Hiroshige 広重 (1797-1858), Lake at Hakone はこねの湖すい, series: Thirty-six Views of Mt Fuji 富士三十六景 (Fuji sanju rokkei), date: 4/1858
This spring, Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints is excited to share their latest arrivals of exquisite prints focusing on 19th and 20th century landscapes after completing a buying trip to Japan! In appreciation of the British Museum’s special exhibition Hiroshige: Artist of the Open Road (on view through September 7), they will be posting works by Hiroshige and Hiroshige II in the coming weeks, as well as shin hanga works by Kawase Hasui, Oda Kazuma and Kasamatsu Shiro.
A captivating example is a beautifully preserved print by Utagawa Hiroshige seen above. The unmistakable and symmetric cone of Mount Fuji rises clear and strong above the mists as seen from Lake Ashinoko (also known as Hakone Lake) in the resort area of Hakone. Not a soul is in evidence, nor signs of human habitation, as our view features green hills atop gentle yellow cliffs. This scene is probably almost the same today, as the area remains very lightly developed. Bright yellow clouds lie just beyond Mount Fuji, so this may likely be a morning view.
Kawase Hasui (1883-1957), Morning In Beppu 別府の朝, 1922, series “Selection of Scenes of Japan”
Another thrilling work is this unusually scarce, pre-earthquake design by Kawase Hasui. An informal fish market seems to be taking place, with a man in an apron holding up what looks to be a tuna. Other villagers gather on the beach, probably inspecting wares that were freshly delivered by the nearby fishing vessels. The small boat at left may be a ferry vessel. The morning sun is still a bright yellow, glowing behind the mountains. As Narazaki wrote: “Villagers and boat passengers gather along a coastal dune. This is the first work by Hasui that deals with a group of people, whose small forms in this composition are beautifully portrayed. A few fishing boats compose the middle ground, the spa town of Beppu and the faraway mountains are silhouetted in a purplish blue.” Beppu is one of Japan’s most famous hot spring resorts, home to more than two thousand onsen. This view seems to be from Mochigahama Beach; although the view from the sand looks much the same, urban sprawl seems to have completely covered most of the flat lands between the mountains and the sea, and this rural view that could be from hundreds of years ago has captured a charmingly pre-industrial scene that has largely disappeared. From a limited edition, verso, numbered “nine” from an edition of 300 prints.
New treasures are added daily, so visit often and uncover something inspiring each time!
To view the latest prints, click here.