A Sudden Shower on Cherry Blossoms
by Koho Shoda
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
by Koho Shoda
$200–$1,500. Still life prints are among the artist's most iconic works. Good nature prints: $500–$1,000. Key value factors: Shoda Koho's elegant nature prints are beautifully produced and accessible to beginning collectors.
Rain falling on cherry blossoms was a melancholy and well-established subject in Japanese poetry and visual art, evoking the brevity of the blooming season. Shoda likely depicted diagonal lines of rain printed in pale blue or grey against a field of pale pink petals, some knocked loose and scattered by the shower. The wet-weather atmosphere would have allowed him to employ deep [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) gradations in the sky and reflective surfaces on the ground. The interplay between the transient blossoms and the disruptive rain intensifies the mono no aware quality central to hanami imagery. Technically, printing rain required careful registration of fine parallel lines across the full sheet, demonstrating the skill of the carvers and printers working with Shoda's designs.
Kumoi sakura
1926
Color woodblock print
1935
Color woodblock print
Romon
1935
Color woodblock print
円山公園桜
Woodblock print
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
A Sudden Shower on Cherry Blossoms was created by Koho Shoda (庄田耕峰).
A Sudden Shower on Cherry Blossoms depicts cherry blossoms and rain.
