Winter Moon over Toyama Plain
1931
Kawase Hasui was a travel junkie of the art world, roaming Japan to capture its quietest, most atmospheric moments. In this 1931 masterpiece, he freezes a winter night in time with stunning, deep indigo skies that seem to glow from within. The stark, skeletal trees reach up like black lace against the full moon, while a misty fog rolls over the ground, hinting at distant lanterns. This piece is a shining example of the shin-hanga (new print) movement, a modernist revival that breathed new life into traditional woodblock printing just as photography began to take over.
- Technique
- Woodblock print