KAWASE HASUI (1883-1957), ROAD TO NIKKOBy Kawase Hasui (1883-1957), signed Hasui and sealed SuiJapan, dated 1930Color woodblock print on paper. Vertical Oban. Signed Hasui with seal “sui” (bottom-right) in the image along with a black Watanabe publisher seal below it. Entitled Nikko gaido (The Road to Nikko). Vertical inscription along the left margin. A road through the deep forest of large cryptomeria trees in Nikko. The sun rays cast dappled patterns on the sides of the ancient trees and on the shaded forest road. A villager is walking toward the opening, where the blue sky with white clouds and the brightly lit trees are seen.SIZE of the sheet 39.3 x 26.8 cmCondition: Great impression, vivid colors and registration with two very small binding holes on the left margin.Provenance: The Chaplain Collection, USA. Sylvia and Philip Chaplain were involved in the business of art and antique collecting for over six decades. Their interest in Asian arts and antiques began with the purchase of Japanese woodblock prints. After selling one for $90 and then discovering it was worth more than $500, they realized the value of their acquisitions and dedicated themselves to learning more. They traveled throughout Asia, acquiring items for their growing collection, and participating in American antique shows including the Arts of Pacific Asia shows in New York City and San Francisco. Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) was a prominent Japanese artist and printmaker of the shin-hanga ("new prints") movement. He is best known for his landscape prints depicting scenes of Japan, which were highly detailed and often captured the beauty and tranquility of the country's natural landscapes. Hasui's works were characterized by their delicate colors and sophisticated composition, and his legacy as a master of shin-hanga continues to influence Japanese art and culture today.Museum comparison:An identical print is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston accession number 50.2852.Auction comparison:Compare a closely related print by Kawase Hasui at Christie’s, From Artist to Woodblock: Japanese Prints from 18th-20th Century, 28 June 2016, London, lot 102 (sold for 2,000 GBP).