Rainy Season 1919

Ito Shinsui made this print, Rainy Season, using woodblocks. Look at the way the colors melt into each other, like the rain itself is diluting the scene. It's like Shinsui wasn't trying to nail down reality, but to capture the *feeling* of a rainy day. I love how the greens and blues dominate, creating this cool, wet atmosphere. The texture almost feels like you could reach out and touch the dampness. Notice the vertical marks suggesting rain, each line distinct yet part of a collective wash. It’s interesting how the water reflects the scene, but it's more of an echo, not a perfect mirror. It's this kind of ambiguity that makes art so compelling. Thinking about art as conversation across time, Shinsui's sensitivity reminds me of Whistler's atmospheric nocturnes, though with a distinctly Japanese sensibility. Both artists embraced the beauty of fleeting moments and subtle emotions over sharp definition.