Rain
雨
- Date:
- 1929
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
Typical Price
"Rain" (Ame) is an atmospheric composition pairing a beautiful woman with weather, creating one of Kotondo's moodiest designs. The rain effect required specialized printing techniques that add vulnerability to the figure. This evocative subject is particularly sought by collectors, with lifetime editions selling for $5,000-$15,000 and posthumous at $2,500-$5,000.
Description
A woman in a rain-soaked kimono clutches an umbrella against driving rain. The wet fabric clings to her form, revealing the contours of her body beneath, while her face shows a mixture of discomfort and determined grace. The diagonal lines of rain and the dark, saturated colors create an atmosphere of dramatic intensity unusual in bijin-ga.
