Investigation

Kawase Hasui is the true giant of Shin Hanga. We all know his prints. From 1918, when he first collaborated with the great publisher Watanabe Shozaburo, until his death in 1957, Hasui depicted the scenery and customs of Japan, meticulously depicting with his brush the nation’s mountains, cities, rivers, lakes and adjoining seas – and the lives of people who lived among them. He created more than 600 print designs in his lifetime. He was called the "Poet of Travel" and "Showa Hiroshige" – a comparison to that previous Ukiyo-e landscape master, Utagawa Hiroshige, even though Hasui’s designs were quite different, featuring modern Western touches like shadows and water reflections. He was highly regarded in Europe and America although his oeuvre was proudly – even defiantly -- Japanese.

Hasui’s "Konjiki Hall at Hiraizumi" is his final work, a masterpiece completed on his deathbed. From Hasui’s diary, we have a remarkably detailed history of how this work came to be, a relatively rare thing in Shin Hanga and Ukiyo-e. But this level of detail also allows me to use this print as an example of a disappointing development in Shin Hanga collecting: the increasing presence of Fake Hasui prints. It’s a unfortunate reality, one with which every would-be collector should become familiar.

According to the diary, work on "Konjiki Hall at Hiraizumi Hall” began on May 3, 1957. At that time, Hasui was already suffering from stomach cancer -- his physical strength was rapidly deteriorating. Perhaps foreseeing that this would be his final design, he devoted particular attention to its development; apparently, he sought to complete his career - -and his life -- with a perfect work.

Though in pain, Hasui showed extraordinary perseverance and obsessive attention to detail. First, he created line drawings, constantly revising the details, altering the original composition several times; in all he created eight line-drawings and two or three colored sketches. A month passed between the conception of the work and the day he submitted the final design to Watanabe for production.

The publisher and the artist had a deep relationship beyond simply being partners: for 40 years, they were like family. This gives the design a rich layer of special meaning: it was a physical manifestation of their decades-long relationship. Shortly after work began to produce the print, Hasui’s condition deteriorated further; he suffered severe abdominal pain and insomnia, which severely curtailed his creative abilities. The printing process was not finished until after Hasui’s death in November: the great artist was never able to see the final product with his own eyes.

Hasui’s passing was not only a huge loss to the art world and Watanabe but was, of course, also a heavy blow to his family. But the close relationship with the publisher continued. Watanabe covered the cost for Hasui’s grand funeral and commemorative ceremonies, and he saw to it that Hasui's widow and family were taken care of, paying their living expenses while continuing to print Hasui’s past masterpieces.

One hundred days after Hasui’s death, Watanabe distributed "Konjiki Hall at Hiraizumi" to Hasui’s family, friends, partners and academic friends – a fitting memorial to the life of this great artist. Fewer than 100 copies of this posthumous work were initially printed and presented at the memorial service, as such, the number of impressions circulating on the market is very small.

Fewer than 100 copies of this posthumous work were initially printed and presented at the memorial service, as such, the number of impressions circulating on the market is very small.