Coleus
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Arts
- Image courtesy of
- Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Description
Among the nine coleus designs attributed to Taisui, this print explores the plant's layered foliage through a distinct compositional arrangement. The coleus leaf's pronounced serrated margins and concentric color banding — typically moving from a bright central zone through contrasting outer rings — provided Taisui with an inherently graphic subject suited to woodblock rendering. This variant may feature leaves viewed at a steeper angle or a different cluster depth than others in the series, shifting the balance between transparency and density. The Sakai-Kawaguchi printing atelier would have applied delicate bokashi within individual leaf zones to model the surface tension of the leaves and their transition between color fields.
More Prints by Inuzuka Taisui
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coleus was created by Inuzuka Taisui (犬塚泰水).


