Artist: Kawase Hasui 巴水 (1883-1957)
Title: The Great Buddha Hall, Nara 奈良大仏殿 Date: 1950
Nara Daibutsuden. Two women wearing kimono and carrying colorful parasols stroll the grounds of the famous Buddha Hall in Nara. Rain falls softly in straight lines in the windless air, and we are treated to a reflection in the lake. After the war, Hasui often turned to more indirect views of famous places, and they often have a meditative quality, as here. This must be Todai-ji, once one of the Seven Great Temples of the ancient capital city of Nara. The temple that houses the Great Buddha is a listed UNESCO World heritage site. First edition, with the round Watanabe seal in use during this period. lower left.
Narazaki wrote: "The impressive form of the Kondô [Daibutsuden] is featured in the background of the composition. the pond in the foreground is positioned before a roofed corridor that runs east and across the central picture plan. Half of the Chûmon [middle gate] of the Todai temple appears to the left."
Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Never framed.
Dimensions: ôban (39 x 26.4 cm)
Publisher: Watanabe Shôzaburô
Literature: Kendall Brown, Kawase Hasui: The complete woodblock prints, 2003, no. 540. Narazaki number 513. See Art Institute of Chicago, VMFA collections.
Seal: Watanabe Signature: Hasui with Kawase seal
SKU: HAS625
