Autumn landscape

"Autumn landscape" is a seasonal vista in mokuhanga, the autumn foliage tag suggesting momiji (Japanese maple) rendered in vermillion and ochre tones characteristic of late autumn in the Japanese mountains. While Shinsui is principally identified with [bijin-ga](/glossary/bijin-ga), he produced landscape work throughout his career, including the series "Eight Views of Omi" (Omi hakkei, 1917) and "Selected Views of Japan" (Nihon fukei senshu, 1917–1923), both published by Watanabe Shozaburo. Such landscapes typically employ careful [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradations to model atmosphere, particularly in the rendering of distant mountains, water, and sky, working from Shinsui's nihonga sketches translated to wood by the carver. The compositional approach draws from the [meisho-e](/glossary/meisho-e) (famous places) tradition established by Hiroshige, tempered with the muted palette and atmospheric depth that distinguish [shin-hanga](/glossary/shin-hanga) from classical [ukiyo-e](/glossary/ukiyo-e). Shinsui's collaboration with Watanabe's workshop produced finely registered impressions on washi, with the autumn foliage requiring multiple color blocks to achieve the layered russet, scarlet, and gold tonalities. The print situates Shinsui within the broader shin-hanga revival of landscape printmaking led by Hasui and Yoshida.