Driving Rain at Shono (Station 46) from the series Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido

In this print, Hiroshige mastered capturing the atmospheric qualities of rain and its effects on travelers wearing straw raincoats. The publisher’s name, Takenouchi, is written on the umbrella. His large red seal is stamped on the left side of the print.

Hiroshige often depicted rainfall with distinct slanted lines. Here, he also added sheets of gray shading to emphasize the intensity of the downpour. In addition, three different shades of gray, requiring three different stages of the printing process, suggest distance in the thickets of bamboo in the background.