124 - Koitsu: Spring Snow at Maruyama Park

Koitsu: Spring Snow at Maruyama Park

Tsuchiya Koitsu (1879-1949) doesn't belong to best known Shin-hanga masters, but in my opinion he is underrated. He definitely is one of the best when it comes to landscapes.

Here we see a snowy landscape as only Japanese artists can catch it: Spring Snow at Maruyama Park, a print from 1936.

119 - Hasui: Saishô Temple in Hirosaki

Hasui: Saishô Temple in Hirosaki

This is a shin-hanga print by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957). It depicts a Saishô Temple in Hirosaki (Hirosaki, Saishô-in), and is taken from the series Collection of Scenic Views of Japan (Nihon fûkei shû higashi Nihon hen), 1936.

Hasui is one of the foremost shin-hanga artists. His speciality was landscapes and townscapes.

115 - Koson: Crow on a Snowy Bough

Ohara Koson: Crow on a Snowy Bough

This is a kachô-e by Ohara Koson (1877-1945), who was a brilliant artist when it comes to kachô-e within the shin hanga movement.

Kachô-e is a subgenre of ukiyo-e, shin hanga and Japanese art in general. Originally, its motives were flowers and birds, but more generally, it comprises flora and fauna. 

Japanese names are written with the family name first. Artists are mostly signing with their given name or a pseudonym. Ohara Koson signed his works "Koson", later "Shōson", and sometimes "Hoson".

This print, Crow on a Snowy Bough, was made some time between 1900 and 1910.

113 - Shōtei: Katsushika

Shōtei: Katsushika

Takahashi Shōtei (1871-1945) is considered as the creator of a style called shin-hanga. That means "new prints" and refers to a revival of ukiyo-e and is, in fact, evolved ukiyo-e.

The term was coined by publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō in 1915. He wanted to mark that it was not commercial mass art as ukiyo-e had been; contrary to ukiyo-e, it was also directed mainly to a western audience. Shin-hanga never became popular in Japan.