A Sleety Evening

The right handing scroll is entirely filled with the depiction of a woman wearing a long-sleeved kimono and a hood, standing in the autumn rain with an umbrella. Her white, somewhat dismal-looking face, together with the effect of blurry shades of gray, creates a strange, indescribable kind of atmosphere. Painted in the center of the left handing scroll is a full moon that hazily shines through the misty rain, while in the lower part, a bird sitting on a branch is pecking leaves, and several autumnal leaves are dancing in the wind. The contrast in terms of motifs and picture compositions on the left and right scrolls is highly intriguing and suggests Kobayakawa’s exceptional talent.