Snow at Shiba Park 1931

Hasui Kawase made this print, Snow at Shiba Park, using the woodblock technique, where color is gently applied to carve out atmosphere, like a soft-focus memory. I love how the falling snow is rendered, those tiny white dots, because it’s all about the surface, isn’t it? A dusting, a sprinkling, a gentle accumulation. The red gate, muted by the snow, becomes almost dreamlike. I’m drawn to the bare branches of the tree in the foreground, it's so delicate against the weight of the snow-covered roof. The umbrella is a delicate, transparent gesture. This print reminds me of Hiroshige, another master of Japanese prints, but Kawase has a quieter, more intimate feel to his work. I think what resonates most is that Kawase invites us to pause, to breathe in the stillness and beauty of a world transformed by snow, and that’s something special, isn’t it? It's about noticing, about seeing the poetry in the everyday.