Sunrise at Shibaura

Catalog note / 解説

This spare but compelling <i>uchiwa-e</i> (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige derives much of its effect from the ribmarks that radiate from its centre. As well as suggesting the rays of the sun as it rises over Edo Bay at dawn, they also draw the composition together into an integrated whole. It is as if the artist had anticipated the lines that would result from the print being mounted as a fan and had incorporated them into the design. The tripod structure in the centre of the print is an <i>otomegui</i>, a type of gauge by which sailors could judge the depth of the sea. They were a particular feature of the Shibaura coast, this view being taken from in front of, or near, the extensive…