The Autumn Shower, from "Sharing an Umbrella: A Set of Three (Aigasa sanpukutsui)" c. 1748

This print, The Autumn Shower, was created by Okumura Masanobu in eighteenth-century Japan. It is part of a set of three woodblock prints that depict the theme of sharing an umbrella. These prints can be seen as commenting on the social mores of their time, particularly around gender and relationships. The man is equipped with a sword suggesting he is of the samurai class, while the woman is demure. This imagery plays into the visual codes that defined gender roles and class distinctions in the Edo period. The image also reflects on the cultural and social values of the time, as well as on the institution of art itself. By studying historical records, costume history, and other artworks of the time, we can gain a deeper understanding of this print, not just as a beautiful image but also as a window into a particular moment in Japanese history.