Monkeys II

A second print in what appears to be a sequence on monkey (saru) subjects, suggesting that Shusui returned to this theme more than once. Monkeys carry layered meaning in Japanese visual culture: they appear in the zodiac cycle, in Buddhist iconography (the three wise monkeys at Nikko), and in studies of native Japanese macaques observed in mountain settings. Mori Sosen's eighteenth-century paintings established a tradition of close anatomical observation of monkeys that influenced later printmakers. A composition of this type may show one or several monkeys in a natural setting — pine boughs, rocky outcrops, or hot-spring environments characteristic of Japanese macaque habitat. Mokuhanga production permits fine line work for the fur, often aided by [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) shading to suggest volume in the body. The numbered title ('II') indicates either a serial conception or the existence of a related earlier print, a numbering practice common among twentieth-century woodblock artists producing themed groups for sale through dealer networks.