Taking Shelter from the Rain

Teisai Hokuba Japanese

Not on view

Travelers caught in a sudden downpour take shelter under the eaves of a gate at a large estate. Men and women from different walks of life—a flower vendor, a bookseller with a stack of books, assorted pilgrims, a lion-dance performer, and a warrior—huddle under the roof. A restless child, untroubled by the rainstorm, hangs upside down from a beam.

This painting is based on a pictorial theme made popular by Hanabusa Itchō (1652–1724), who rendered the scene to represent the summer season in various formats (including a screen in the Burke Collection). The style here adheres neither to Hokuba’s usual hypermeticulous depictions of women of the pleasure quarters nor to his landscapes inspired by Kano-school paintings, but perhaps was directly inspired by Itchō or one of his followers.

Taking Shelter from the Rain, Teisai Hokuba (Japanese, 1771–1844), Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Japan

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Taking Shelter from the Rain, Teisai Hokuba (Japanese, 1771–1844), Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Japan
Taking Shelter from the Rain, Teisai Hokuba (Japanese, 1771–1844), Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Japan

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