VMFA is home to an extraordinary collection of prints by one of the 20th century’s greatest Japanese artists, Kawase Hasui (1883–1957). More than six hundred Hasui prints were given to VMFA beginning in 2016 when René and Carolyn Balcer donated their extensive collection to the museum.

From that collection, you can now explore 12 prints in the exhibition Views of Korea: Hasui’s Journey and Japanese Prints, curated by Li Jian, VMFA’s beloved and now-retired E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Curator of East Asian Art.

Hasui was an artist and traveler who took numerous sketching trips throughout Japan. In 1939, invited by friends, he traveled to the Korean Peninsula where he captured natural wonders and historical sites, sketching with abounding enthusiasm and creativity. As he did for hundreds of works, he used these sketches to then create woodblock prints of fine lines, vivid colors, and delicate depictions of light and shadow.

In Hasui’s prints of Korean landscapes, temples, and palaces, the viewer is transported to the artist’s perch, where through observation, inspiration, and skill, he illustrated the serenity and beauty of lush green fields, falling snow, and moonlit skies.

Within the Balcers’ Hasui collection, the variety of themes and subjects allows for regular rotations of these treasured prints. As works on paper, they should experience only limited exposure to light and other gallery conditions, making such rotations vital to their preservation. We are delighted to share this particular selection with you in the coming months.