Margaret Preston

The boat, Sydney Harbour c. 1920
woodcut, printed in black ink, from one block, hand-coloured; undesignated impression
National Gallery of Australia
Purchased 2004

Preston has been described as having ‘put Sydney’s urban environment through a Japanese sieve’. The boat, Sydney Harbour c. 1920 exemplifies her absorption of ukiyo-e compositions.

The Harbour’s zig-zag configuration leading the eye towards a mountain-like cloud formation, the representation of rocky outcrops, sailing vessels, and flowing water, and the colour palette echo an earlier work by Utagawa Hiroshige, Distant view of Moon Mountain from Mogami River, Dewa Province (Dewa mogamikawa gassan enbō) 1853–56.