Details

At first blush one might believe this subject is a bit of a departure for Shinsui, but if we consider the date it was produced, one quickly realizes this pre-earthquake design is all about experimentation and finding one's voice. As the ferry man huddles over the fire, we have the young Shinsui—with his entire career in front of him—pondering the future and contemplating where to place his focus. As the ferry man is fixated on the fire, Shinsui will soon be transfixed on bijin-ga. Before doing so however, Shinsui will leave us with a handful of compelling and important landscapes that beg the question, “what if?”

Connoisseur's Note

Being a rare pre-earthquake design, we get a quality of printing from Watanabe's shop that is rarely seen after 1923. Note the intensity of the blue bokashi around the wooden structure and the brilliant red that bleeds to orange and yellow within in the fire. Also compelling is the light blue bokashi that fades into the gray/brown of the cold winter night.