by Ito Shinsui
"Snowy Night" is a [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) landscape print by Ito Shinsui, created during the Taisho and Showa periods. This atmospheric composition captures a specific place and moment with the poetic sensibility that characterizes the finest Japanese landscape prints.
The snow scene demonstrates Ito Shinsui's mastery of atmospheric effects, using the white of the paper itself as a compositional element while layered color blocks create the subtle interplay of light and shadow across the frozen landscape. The quiet stillness of the scene evokes mono no aware — the bittersweet awareness of impermanence that runs through Japanese aesthetics.
As a shin-hanga print, this work was produced through the traditional collaborative system of artist, woodblock carver, and printer, resulting in the refined technical quality that distinguishes the movement — visible in the precise color registration, smooth gradations ([bokashi](/glossary/bokashi)), and rich, saturated pigments.
This print represents Ito Shinsui's contribution to the shin-hanga tradition during the Taisho and Showa periods. As with all works by this artist, it reflects both individual artistic vision and the broader cultural moment in which it was created. For collectors and admirers of Japanese printmaking, it offers a window into the sophisticated aesthetic world that produced some of the most beloved images in art history.
Woodblock print
c. 1832/38
Color woodblock print; oban
Yuki no Miyajima
1929
Color woodblock print; oban
1932
Woodblock print
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Snowy Night was created by Ito Shinsui (伊東深水).
Snowy Night depicts snow scenes and night scenes.
