Canal of Sasayama

Description

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 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 notable simplicity while still capturing the delicacy of the flower.