Rain at Nissaka 1942

"Rain at Nissaka" is a woodblock print by Hasui Kawase. He was an artist who lived from the late 19th to mid 20th century. In the piece, a figure walks with an umbrella in the rain. I wonder, was he thinking of Hiroshige as he made it? Or maybe he was out in the rain himself, just trying to get somewhere dry! I bet he worked slowly, carefully layering color on color. See how the cool blues and grays make the whole scene feel so wet and quiet? And notice the way the rain blurs everything, like a dream. That blurred effect may have been produced through wiping techniques or by varying the pressure during printing. There's a dialogue with the past here, for sure, but also something new and fresh. I think that's how art works, we borrow and steal from each other, and then make something that's totally our own!