In love

The title 'In love' suggests a figural composition addressing romance or longing, themes that recur across [bijin-ga](/glossary/bijin-ga) (pictures of beautiful women) and narrative prints throughout the Edo and modern periods. Without further documentation, the specific scene depicted cannot be confirmed; treatments of this subject in twentieth-century mokuhanga commonly show a single female figure absorbed in thought, a couple in an intimate domestic setting, or a stylized vignette drawn from classical literature. Technically, prints of this scale and date typically employ multiple cherrywood blocks for line and color, with delicate skin tones built up through layered impressions and [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradation used in backgrounds or hair. The paper is generally [kozo](/glossary/kozo)-fiber [washi](/glossary/washi) sized with dosa to accept water-based pigments. Taki Shusui's overall body of work, as documented in dealer inventories, leans toward landscape and nature subjects, which makes a figural piece such as this a useful counterpoint when establishing the artist's range.