Uji Bridge

This second catalogued version of Hasui's Uji Bridge composition represents either a different edition of the same print or a distinct composition of the same subject from a different vantage point or season. The multiple states documented for this subject reflect the commercial popularity of historically resonant sites in the shin-hanga market of the 1920s through 1940s, when Watanabe Shozaburo's firm reprinted successful compositions across print runs that sometimes extended over decades. Minor variations between states typically appear in sky coloration, the density and hue of water reflections, and the rendering of foliage — differences produced by replacement or recutting of worn printing blocks and by variation in pigment application across different production periods. The Uji River's strong clear current and the bridge's long horizontal span gave Hasui a composition organized around contrasts between geometric structure and flowing water, static architecture and dynamic natural elements.