Details

In Sunrise at Shizuura, Shiro captures a moment of profound serenity on the Izu Peninsula—where sea and sky merge into a tranquil chorus of blue and lavender hues, and Mt. Fuji looms silent and eternal in the distance. A lone fishing boat glides across the glassy bay. The summit heralds the first trace of morning’s gentile light, while the shoreline curves in rhythmic grace, playfully echoing the iconic slope of the great mountain above, inviting the eye to wander across time and tide.

The print is executed in a harmonious palette of cool indigo tones, employing a masterful bokashi (color gradation) technique that dissolves the horizon into a delicate veil of mist. Light glimmers faintly on the water’s surface, and the mountain—rendered in tender, tonal precision—anchors the composition in spiritual stillness.

Connoisseur's Note

Shizuura, nestled along Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture, offers one of the most revered views of Mt. Fuji, particularly at dawn when the mountain emerges like a deity from sleep. Shiro honors this view with profound restraint. The absence of architectural detail, the minimal presence of man, and the near-monochrome color scheme all contribute to a potent meditative stillness. Given the time this work was executed, the subject hints both at Shinto reverence as well as nationalistic pride.

This impression bares the Watanabe C-type seal, and indicates it is a first state of the design. The impression’s saturated colors with subtle bokashi throughout showcases the pinnacle of printmaking from the Watanabe enterprise. This impression, with its fresh and vivid colors, is in superb state of preservation.