Details

Sadao Watanabe dedicated his entire career to producing prints illustrating the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Though the subjects of his prints may be familiar, Watanabe utilized his unique talent of stencil production mixed with Japanese aesthetic sensibilities to create a new and compelling vision of these time-honored stories.

In this artistic portrayal, Watanabe captures a narrative drawn from the Book of Mark, depicting the moment when Jesus embarks on a boat journey with his disciples across the Sea of Galilee. Significantly, the narrative unfolds with Jesus succumbing to fatigue and falling into slumber just before a formidable storm emerges. The disciples, gripped by fear in the face of the tempest, awaken Jesus, who promptly brings tranquility to the tumultuous waters.

This biblical episode not only underscores the humanity of Jesus, emphasizing his need for rest, but also imparts a profound lesson. The vessel carrying Jesus and his closest followers finds itself besieged by an immense storm, prompting understandable apprehension among the disciples. Implicit in the narrative is a compelling question: "How could a storm menacingly threaten the lives of Jesus and his disciples?" The response offers a deeply inspiring axiom—challenges and obstacles, represented by the storm, are inevitable, even for individuals of elevated spiritual stature. The crucial takeaway lies in the manner in which one confronts these adversities—with unwavering faith and constructive action. As exemplified by Jesus, navigating through difficulties with faith and good deeds leads to deliverance from their trials.

Watanabe was clearly a fan of this biblical passage, as he illustrated it numerous times. In fact, we have another fine example offered here.

Connoisseur's Note

This stencil print is executed on hand-made Japanese paper that has been crumbled and flattened to take on the appearance of a textile. Consequently, the background color and elements in the design are printed with an expressive, uneven hand that will create unique variances from impression to impression.

This design is one of Watanabe’s most successful large-scale stencil prints. This impression is in pristine condition with vivid colors—a testament to its years of archival storage. It is quite rare to find a large-scale work that has never been framed or displayed and has been spared the transgressions of improper framing and fading caused by years of exposure to sunlight. This print is as fresh as the day it was printed.