Moonlit Sea

This second moonlit seascape suggests a variant treatment of a subject Shoda returned to often. [Shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) publishers regularly commissioned multiple versions of popular night scenes, with the artist altering the moon's height, the scale of the water, or the inclusion of a sail or shore element. The technical demands of the moonlit sea—broad gradations of indigo and grey, a clear lunar disc preserved against the surrounding tones—make these prints a test of the carver and printer as much as the designer. [Bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) was applied by hand-wiping ink from the block in graduated bands before the impression was pulled on [washi](/glossary/washi), and the smoothness of the result depends on the printer's experience. Shoda's nocturnes form one of the more cohesive groups within his output, alongside his [kacho-e](/glossary/kacho-e) of herons and waterfowl. They connect him to the wider shin-hanga preoccupation with atmospheric light, also visited by Shotei, Koson, and Hasui in their own night scenes.