Two Japanese women - Snow

A snow scene featuring two figures positions the subject within the yukimi (snow viewing) tradition encountered in Hokusai, Hiroshige, and the shin-hanga landscapes of Kawase Hasui. For a bijin-ga artist, snow provides a quiet pictorial framework: white surfaces flatten the background, patterned kimono register sharply against the negative space, and the cold suggests gestures of intimacy — a shared umbrella, gathered hems, the lift of a sleeve. In mokuhanga, snow is conventionally rendered through reserved areas of unprinted washi paper with bokashi gradations to suggest atmospheric grey, occasionally with karazuri (blind embossing) for fallen flakes or drifts. Shimura's pairing of two women in this setting reflects his broader interest in the two-figure composition, where a shared moment between subjects gives the image a quiet narrative undercurrent absent from single-figure portraits while preserving the contemplative stillness that characterises his style.