Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

This untitled woodblock print by Inuzuka Taisui extends the artist's catalog of shin-hanga nature subjects. The bokashi technique, in which the printer applies a graduated wash of pigment across the block surface before pressing it onto the paper, was a key tool for rendering the soft tonal transitions found in flower petals. Unlike the sharp, even color areas of ukiyo-e prints, shin-hanga botanical works frequently used bokashi to create the subtle blending from light to dark within a single petal or leaf. Taisui's designs likely specified where these gradations should appear, with the printer interpreting the artist's intentions through skilled manipulation of pigment and pressure. The resulting prints possess a painterly softness that belies their mechanical, block-printed origins.