Shower in late autumn — しぐれ
by Uemura Shoen
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Japanese Art Open Database
by Uemura Shoen
$5,000–$200,000+. Reproduction prints: $5,000–$15,000. Key value factors: Shoen's paintings are far more valuable than prints. Authenticity and provenance are critical.
A woman walks through a late autumn rain shower, the Japanese title "shigure" naming the specific cold, intermittent drizzle that characterizes November weather in the Kyoto region. Shigure is a poetically charged weather phenomenon, appearing in classical verse as a symbol of impermanence and gentle melancholy. Shoen captures the figure's response to the rain: an umbrella raised or a sleeve lifted, the body adjusting to the sudden change in conditions. The autumn setting places the shower against a backdrop of late-season foliage, with remaining leaves rendered in subdued warm tones that the grey rain further mutes. The woodblock technique prints the rain as fine parallel lines or, in some renderings, as a translucent grey wash over the entire surface, creating the visual effect of seeing through falling water. Shoen treats the discomfort of being caught in rain as an occasion for grace rather than distress.
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
Shower in late autumn — しぐれ was created by Uemura Shoen (上村松園).
Shower in late autumn — しぐれ depicts rain and autumn foliage.
