Nishijima Katsuyuki – Canal of Sasayama

Original woodblock print, hand-signed and numbered 33/500 by the artist. First published in 2009.

The place depicted might be close to Sasayama Castle, but the castle itself is not shown. Instead, a rural house is visible in the background, with water before it. Up close, irises, commonly found near the waterside, are blossoming brightly.

Irises have been one of the flowers commonly depicted by woodblock artists, from Hiroshige, Ogata Gekko, Hiroshi Yoshida, and Kawase Hasui up to present-day artists such as Hajime Namiki and Nishijima Katsuyuki. While some artists, such as Hajime Namiki, have depicted irises in many different settings, this is the only print we know where Nishijima Katsuyuki shows them. They are part of the larger composition here, providing depth and contrasting with the green, and have been depicted with impressive simplicity while still capturing the delicateness of the flower.

Image size (excluding margins): 25.8 * 37.9 cm (10.2 * 14.9 in).

The print is in excellent condition.

The pictures shown here are from the print itself.

See an overview of Nishijima Katsuyuki's woodblock prints