Umbrellas

This 1915 oban woodblock print depicts umbrellas, a subject rich with visual and cultural associations in Japan. The traditional Japanese umbrella, or wagasa, is a bamboo-ribbed construction covered in oiled paper, its form both functional and beautiful. When opened, it creates a dome of translucent material that filters light and casts warm shadows on the face beneath. Fritz Capelari may depict multiple umbrellas in a street scene, their circular forms creating a rhythmic pattern when viewed from above, or he may focus on a single umbrella carried against rain or sun. The ink and color on paper medium captures the umbrella's translucency, with light passing through the oiled paper rendered as areas of warm, diffused tone. Umbrellas appear frequently in Japanese woodblock prints, from Hiroshige's rain scenes to Harunobu's lovers beneath shared parasols, and Capelari engages with this long visual tradition.