Nagasaki

This second Nagasaki print by Hasui captures a city with exceptional topographical and historical character—a harbor town built on steep hillsides where Japanese, Chinese, and Dutch cultural influences converged during the Edo-period trade restrictions. Hasui likely depicted either the harbor panorama from the slopes of Nishizaka or Glover Hill, or a canal scene in the Dutch-influenced Dejima area, using the layered hillside geography to create a receding compositional depth unusual in his flatter landscape subjects. This variant may differ from the primary Nagasaki print in viewpoint, season, or color scheme. The distant harbor view would allow Hasui to deploy his signature sky gradations over open water.