Your question can be interpreted two different ways, but the answer is the same for both--shapes can be seen before color. Your question could either be referring to what can be seen first as an infant's vision develops, or as to what people can see as light slowly increases from darkness.
Infants can distinguish shapes soon after they are born, with a limited range in which they can focus (between about 8 and 12 inches from their eyes). Babies can see the color red when they a few weeks old, with a full range of color vision by the age of about 5 months.
For vision in slowly increasing light, shapes are visible first. There are two types of receptors in the retina, rods and cones. Rods sense black and white differences, and can detect shapes in relatively low light. Cones are for color vision, and require more total light to function. You can test this yourself if you get up before dawn one morning. You will see black, white and gray shapes at first, and gradually will see colors as the sun comes up.
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