Tōshōgū in Ueno c. 1930s

Here is Hasui Kawase's, Tōshōgū in Ueno. He made this woodblock print to conjure a space of quiet reflection, layering colours and marks to create the falling snow. It’s a picture made of carefully made multiples. The paper has a beautiful texture, and the ink seems to sit right on top, like delicate flakes. Look closely, and you'll see the way the red of the pagoda pops against the blue-grey sky, which is so strong, even through the blizzard. There’s a lone figure walking in the snow with their umbrella up. It reminds me of Hiroshige, and his series *One Hundred Famous Views of Edo*. But where Hiroshige is all about the hustle and bustle of city life, Kawase finds the stillness, the beauty of a single moment. You can almost feel the cold and hear the snow crunching underfoot. It’s a kind of magic, turning simple materials into something so evocative and deeply felt.