Like a kigo (a season word) in traditional haiku, Japanese shin hanga (new prints) often suggest the transience of nature. Kawase Hasui, one of the most prominent artists of this printmaking movement, evoked fleeting moments of seasonal beauty in his imageryspring heralded by cherry blossoms and azaleas, autumn announced by a blaze of maple leaves. In concert with the opening of Japans cultural and political borders, Hasui was also influenced by Western realistic art, particularly photography. An increased emphasis on shading and linear perspective is noticeable in his atmospheric depictions of Japans architecture and landscape.
The shin hanga movement began around 1915, and within a few years, Hasui began collaborating with publisher Watanabe Shzabur, a relationship that would continue for the rest of Hasuis life. Throughout his career, Hasui created more than six hundred woodblock prints. The twelve shown here, created from 1920 to 1949, are in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
All of Pomegranates calendars are printed with soy-based inks on FSC certified paper, which means the paper has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and manufactured by an FSC certified printer. FSC certification promotes responsible forest management by ensuring that forestry practices are environmentally responsible, socially equitable, and economically viable.
FSC license code FSC N001864.