Hataori, Shiobara (Shiobara Hataori), 1946

Color woodblock print

Private Collection

Hasui trained as a painter, studying both watercolor and oil painting techniques, and he adapted those techniques for his print designs. This print, like all others by Hasui in this exhibition, was produced by Watanabe Shōzaburō, the leading publisher of the Shin hanga, or New Print, movement. Here, Hasui has depicted a snowstorm in a small town. It is late at night. Snow on the rooftops reflects the light, with the presence of people suggested by the illuminated windows. Hasui’s impressionistic rendering suggests the obscured vision of a storm watcher.

Ying Pan