Iris c. 1840s

This is 'Iris', a woodblock print created by Utagawa Hiroshige, and held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The composition is dominated by soft blues and greens, with a striking purple iris taking center stage. This creates a visually calming yet subtly dynamic image. Hiroshige masterfully employs the vertical format to draw the eye upwards, mimicking the natural growth of the iris. Each element – the long, slender leaves, the budding flower, and the fully opened bloom – is rendered with precise lines and flat planes of color. This simplification of form encourages us to focus on the structural essence of the plant. Consider how Hiroshige uses negative space, letting the pale background interact with the colored forms to create depth and balance. It is as though he’s hinting at the underlying structures and rhythms inherent in nature itself. The aesthetic of the piece lies not just in its representational accuracy, but also in how it engages with notions of space, form, and the delicate balance between object and environment.