The Blue Umbrella 1914

Helen Hyde made this color woodblock print in 1914. I love the way she's depicted the rain with these long, diagonal lines, like a curtain of tears. It's a bit like looking through a rainy window myself. I can imagine Hyde carefully carving each line into the woodblock, thinking about how the ink would transfer onto the paper. What a slow, deliberate process, right? The colors are so muted and soft, like a watercolor painting but with the graphic punch of a print. The blue of the umbrella is almost grey, blending into the rainy background. I'm thinking of Hokusai, and how these Japanese printmakers have really inspired so many artists. Artists are always responding to each other, borrowing ideas and techniques across time and continents. Hyde’s print is a testament to how artistic traditions evolve and influence one another. It shows how painting is never really finished. It's just one big, ongoing conversation.