Moonlit Sea

This second moonlit seascape suggests a variant treatment of a subject Shoda returned to often. 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 was applied by hand-wiping ink from the block in graduated bands before the impression was pulled on 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 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.