Nieuwjaarsdag in het jaar van de haan 1877 - 1889

Shibata Zeshin crafted this print, “New Year’s Day in the Year of the Rooster,” utilizing woodblock printing to capture a scene rich in cultural symbolism and visual interest. The composition is dominated by a boat, its textured surface rendered with meticulous detail, contrasting against the soft gradient of the sky. Note how Zeshin employs the chickens and rooster not merely as subjects, but as structural elements. Their arrangement along the boat’s edge creates a rhythm that leads the eye across the artwork, engaging with the semiotic system of signs where each element gains meaning from its placement and relation to others. The rooster, prominently perched on the boat’s edge, oversees the other chickens, imbuing the scene with a sense of hierarchy. This hierarchy is not just visual but resonates with broader cultural codes and the symbolic weight of the rooster in Japanese folklore. Consider how the artist challenges conventional representation by placing a heavy emphasis on the interplay between form and symbolism, thereby fostering a work that is as intellectually stimulating as it is visually engaging.