$1,000–$8,000. Common subjects: $1,000–$2,500. Key value factors: As one of the first Western shin-hanga artists, Capelari's prints have both historical significance and artistic appeal. Watanabe-published prints are most valued.
This 1915 print in the [oban](/glossary/oban) format captures a moment of rainfall, a subject that has inspired Japanese artists from Hiroshige's famous views of sudden showers to Hasui's rain-soaked temple scenes. Fritz Capelari's European eye interpreted the subject differently from his Japanese contemporaries, likely emphasizing the atmospheric effects of rain on visibility rather than the graphic pattern of falling lines that Hiroshige made iconic. The title "Rain Time" suggests a sustained downpour rather than a passing shower, an extended period during which the entire landscape is transformed by water. As an Austrian working with Watanabe's artisans, Capelari could rely on printers who had generations of expertise in producing the grey, wet tones that rain scenes demand, using multiple passes of diluted pigment to build up the misty quality of a rain-saturated atmosphere.
1962
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
c. 1833-36
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Ame no Omiya
1930
Color woodblock print; oban
Teradomari no yau
1921
Color woodblock print; oban
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Rain Time was created by Fritz Capelari (フリッツ・カペラリ) in 1915.
Rain Time depicts rain.
