Japanese Art Poster Depicting the Serenity and Balance of Japanese Landscapes - View of Shiba Coast by Hiroshige

"View of the Coast of Shiba" (original title: 芝うらの風景) is a woodblock print by the Japanese painter and illustrator Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) produced in February 1856.

This depiction of a harbor features various elements that accentuate the sense of depth: first, two groups of seagulls, one in the foreground flying over the water and the other further away crossing the sky on the horizon. Other elements that help reinforce the perspective are the A-shaped wooden structures that delineate a shipping channel, one in the foreground on the left side of the image and another a little further behind. The group of four boats, gradually decreasing in size as they move away from the viewer, also contributes to this sense of depth. In the distance to the left, the artist depicts embankments (daiba) erected as a means of defense after the arrival of the American black ships. On the strip of land that occupies the right side of the image is the shogun's Hama villa. In the yellow cartouche in the lower left corner appears the seal of the engraver, Horisen (Hori Sennosuke), which is unusual, perhaps because it is one of the first five prints in the series accepted by the censor. This seal is also found in the margins of plates 17, 28 and 83.