Untitled (inuzuka-taisui)

An untitled shin-hanga woodblock print attributed to Inuzuka Taisui, this work belongs to the late 1920s and early 1930s body of kacho-e the artist is known for. The market for Japanese botanical prints during this period extended well beyond Japan's borders. American and European collectors, introduced to Japanese woodblock prints through exhibitions and dealers, developed a particular appetite for the accessible beauty of flower-and-bird subjects. This international demand influenced the subjects and compositions that publishers commissioned, encouraging artists like Taisui to produce works that communicated across cultural boundaries. A peony or chrysanthemum could be appreciated by any viewer, regardless of their familiarity with Japanese artistic conventions.