Departing Spring Possibly 1925

Hasui Kawase made this woodblock print, *Departing Spring,* sometime in the first half of the 20th century. Look at this beautiful woman, her head slightly tilted, her hand raised to her hair in a graceful gesture. There's a real process on display here, the careful carving and layering of blocks to create a delicate, ethereal image. The texture here isn't about impasto or thick paint, but about the quality of the paper, the way the ink sits on the surface. Think about the floral patterns on her kimono—each petal, each leaf, precisely rendered with a subtle range of colors. And that yellow background, just a whisper of color that creates a soft, warm glow around her figure. Notice the lines that describe her face and hair, confident and economical. Kawase uses these small details to create a sense of depth and volume. This print reminds me a little of Utamaro, another master of the Japanese woodblock print. But Kawase brings his own sensibility to the form, capturing the beauty of everyday life. Ultimately, it invites us to slow down, to observe, and to appreciate the subtle poetry of the world around us.