Ono no Komachi Praying for Rain
Edo period (1615–1868), 1770
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
35.6 × 26.7 cm (14 × 10 1/2 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
21062
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In this image, a woman who is meant to represent poet Ono no Komachi is about to set a toy ship in the water. Behind her, an attendant holds up an umbrella to protect her from the rain. The poem above is a play on two names for Japan: There is indeed reason to have bright sunlight here in the Land of the Rising Sun, Yet why is it also called “Under Heaven (Rain)?” (Translation by Kenji Toda) (The Japanese words for heaven and rain are homonyms.)
About the Artist
Suzuki Harunobu · 1725–1770
Suzuki Harunobu (c. 1725-1770) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist who revolutionized woodblock printing by developing nishiki-e—full-color prints using multiple woodblocks—in 1765. Before Harunobu, Japanese prints were limited to two or three colors; his innovation unleashed the entire artist's palette, transforming ukiyo-e into the vibrant art form that would later captivate Western artists from Manet...