'A Young Woman in a Summer Shower' Japanese Woodblock Print. This stunning print depicts an ordinary chore, with added drama. A young woman is caught in a sudden rain shower while tending to her laundry, as if she were rushing to get her sheets off the line before they got wet. One of her shoes is behind her, as the rain begins to pelt down. It is an active and very colorful print with nice saturation of color and wonderful details.

Harunobu used nishiki-e to capture the urban, everyday world of Edo in brilliant color. He is considered a true luminary of ukiyo-e, a talent beyond compare. From shunga (erotic prints) to classical poems, he is a master of color. Harunobu’s genius is particularly apparent in his depictions of young, innocent women. Presenting a delicate, youthful vision of idealized femininity, he influenced many artists to come.