Shono 1906

This is a woodblock print called ‘Shono’ made by Utagawa Hiroshige. I can imagine the artist working on this print, carving into the wood, layering color upon color to evoke the experience of trudging through the rain. The muted palette and the diagonal rain lines create a sense of being caught in a downpour. Look at the way the figures are bent against the wind, their forms simplified to convey movement and struggle. Hiroshige makes you feel what it might have been like to be there, head down, one foot in front of the other. It's like he's saying, ‘I’m going to show you something about the ordinary moments, the grit of everyday life’. Hiroshige was part of a big conversation, transforming landscape art. This piece reminds me that we’re all in this ongoing creative exchange, inspired by those who came before, adding our own voice. And it’s not about perfection, it’s about what the process reveals.