Bidspirit auction | Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) Japanese Woodblock

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) Japanese Woodblock Print Shono: Driving Rain - Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print titled ”Shono: Driving Rain” (or Shono hakuu) by Utagawa Hiroshige (also known as Ando Hiroshige) around 1833-1834.  Part of Hiroshige's most celebrated series, ”The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido”, it depicts station 46, Shono, during a sudden, violent summer downpour.  Scene: The artwork captures a dynamic moment where travelers are caught in a torrential rainstorm on a steep slope.  Composition: You can see two groups of people running in opposite directions to find shelter. On the left, two bearers carry a passenger in a small palanquin (kago) shielded by a cloth, preceded by a man in a straw coat. On the right, a farmer carries a hoe and an umbrella as he runs downhill. Dimensions: Loose sheet measures 10 inches H x 14.5 W.