Irises by Shibata Zeshin

#irises are one of the flowers for May in Japanese culture.

There are two very well known Rimpa style screen paintings of Irises but there are also #prints.

These two are 19th century works by #ShibataZeshin also famous for #lacquer and #painting

This first image is part of a set and is a comparison of Irises to Bamboo Shoots.

While this is a woodblock print the style is more like #nanga or #haiga 

This print 1878 also shows more the woodblock printmakers responded to the new aniline dyes as well as showing Shibata Zeshins brush and composition skills. 

Purple and green can sometimes look rather lurid together but the colorist who did the actual printing  has followed the painters sketch or instructions on a black ink sketch ( both methods seem to have been used) and used lighter greens to contrast with the rich deep blue violet of the flowers.