Artwork
旭日図|Rising Sun
旭日図|Rising Sun is an ink painting by the Impressionist artist Shibata Zeshin. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Rising Sun (旭日図) is a hanging scroll painted by Shibata Zeshin in 1870. Executed on silk with ink and mineral pigments, the work measures a modest size typical of Japanese scrolls and presents a minimalist landscape dominated by a luminous sun.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a red sun that radiates behind a veil of thin clouds. Scattered gold flecks punctuate the sky, suggesting distant stars or atmospheric particles, while the overall tone evokes the daily renewal associated with sunrise.
Technique & Style
Zeshin employed traditional ink and mineral colors, yet the sun’s brilliance is achieved by leaving the silk surface untouched, allowing the natural sheen of the fabric to serve as light. This use of negative space creates a stark, almost contemporary visual effect, contrasting with the more labor‑intensive cross‑hatching methods used by some contemporaries.
Context
Created during the early Meiji period, the scroll reflects a time when Japan was opening to Western influences. Zeshin’s blend of classic materials with a simplified aesthetic mirrors the broader cultural negotiation between tradition and modernization occurring in the 1870s.
Legacy
Rising Sun exemplifies Zeshin’s experimentation with materiality and his capacity to convey atmospheric phenomena with minimal means. The piece continues to be cited in discussions of Japanese ink painting for its innovative use of the silk substrate as an active element of the composition.
Artist & collection
