The first shin-hanga (literally “new print”) appeared on the market in 1915. Shozaburo Watanabe, a shrewd businessman who published and promulgated the form, wanted to create a new aesthetic while preserving the craftsmanship associated with ukiyo-e, which, by then, had all but disappeared.
One of the most important artists associated with this movement was Hasui Kawase (often referred to by his artist name Hasui), the subject of a landmark monograph in English, “Kawase Hasui: Capturing the Soul of Japan,” by Jim Dwinger and Chris Uhlenbeck, which comes out Feb. 17.
Although mostly known for his woodcuts, Hasui was a versatile artist who trained as a painter in both the nihonga (Japanese-style painting) and Western traditions. He illustrated magazine covers, calendars, postcards, philatelic folders, tourist brochures and all kinds of ephemera. In a rich annex to the monograph, the authors present more than 200 examples of this aspect of his work which, until now, had largely been overlooked.
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