Evening at Minakami 

Hasui Kawase created ‘Evening at Minakami’ using woodblock printing, a process rooted in both artistry and industry. This isn’t painting; it’s a printmaking process, a meticulous layering of color onto paper. Consider the labor involved. Each color requires a separate block, carefully carved to represent the areas of the image it will carry. Registration, the precise alignment of each block, is paramount, and many impressions would have been made. Woodblock printing has deep roots in both folk art and commercial production. The subtle gradations of color, the delicate lines, and the overall atmospheric effect are achieved through skilled carving, inking, and printing. Kawase’s image, seemingly simple, is a testament to a tradition where art and craft intersect, challenging any strict separation between the two. It’s a reminder that every artwork carries within it the story of its making, and the human effort that brought it into being.