$1,000–$8,000. Common subjects: $1,000–$2,500. Key value factors: As one of the first Western shin-hanga artists, Capelari's prints have both historical significance and artistic appeal. Watanabe-published prints are most valued.
A companion to "Islands at Matsushima," this 1915 [oban](/glossary/oban) woodblock print adds sailboats to the bay's famous island landscape. The sails introduce human activity into the natural scene, their white triangular forms creating geometric counterpoints to the organic shapes of the pine-covered islands. Sailboats in Matsushima Bay would have been a common sight in 1915, carrying goods and passengers between the coastal communities that ring the bay. Fritz Capelari positions the vessels among the islands to create a layered composition, with boats in the foreground, middle ground, and distance establishing spatial depth. The combination of natural and man-made elements gives the print a narrative dimension absent from a pure landscape: these are working waters, not an empty paradise, and the sailboats remind the viewer that Matsushima's beauty has always coexisted with the practical life of its fishing communities.
Wakasa Kugushiko
1920
Color woodblock print; oban
Woodblock print
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
n.d.
Woodblock print; ishizuri-e, section of harimaze sheet
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Sailboats at Matsushima was created by Fritz Capelari (フリッツ・カペラリ) in 1915.
Sailboats at Matsushima depicts landscapes, boats & ships, and seascapes, set at Matsushima.
