Lady with Black Hood and Umbrella Out Walking with Young Attendant 1725 - 1770

This woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu depicts a lady in a black hood walking with a young attendant. Notice the umbrella: it's not merely a practical object, but a symbol of status and protection, reminiscent of similar parasols wielded by figures of authority in ancient Greece and Rome. Across cultures, the umbrella appears as a signifier of power, shielding not just from the elements but from the gaze of the common world. Here, both figures carry their own form of protection, the lady a dark hood which conceals and isolates. The lantern carried by the attendant evokes the classical motif of the psychopomp, guiding souls through darkness, yet here it illuminates a path on earth. This act reveals an unconscious desire for guidance and protection. Observe how these symbols are continually reborn. They reflect our enduring need for order, and reappear across time, reshaped by each culture's fears and desires.