[Woman with Umbrella in Rain]

1870s
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Commercial photography studios in Meiji-era Japan were renowned for the subtlety and refinement of their coloring techniques. This hand-tinted image of a young woman caught in a heavy rainstorm achieved its naturalistic effect by knitting together multiple strands of artifice: the greenery in the foreground was a studio prop; the flaps of the kimono were suspended by thin wires to create the impression of a strong wind; and long, diagonal marks were made on the negative to suggest streaks of rain.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: [Woman with Umbrella in Rain]
  • Artist: Raimund von Stillfried (Austrian, 1839–1911)
  • Artist: Kusakabe Kimbei (Japanese, 1841–1934)
  • Date: 1870s
  • Medium: Albumen silver print from glass negative with applied color
  • Dimensions: Image: 23 x 17 cm (9 1/16 x 6 11/16 in.)
    Frame: 43.2 x 35.6 cm (17 x 14 in.)
  • Classification: Photographs
  • Credit Line: Collection of Howard Greenberg
  • Curatorial Department: Photographs