Woodblock Print by Toyokuni I: A Winter Shower

Snow on the pines, snow on the fence, and a man in a straw skirt walking right through it.

A Winter Shower is a woodblock print by Toyokuni I, from Japan, dated 1820. It is ink on paper. Kabuki actor prints were among the most popular ukiyo-e subjects, showing stars of the stage in signature roles and dramatic poses. A figure in a white robe and a thick straw rain cape strides through falling snow, holding a dipper overhead. A red fence, its posts capped with snow, stands at left, and a wooden bucket waits on the ground. Pine boughs hang from above, and columns of calligraphy fill the upper corner. It is 10 inches wide and 14.9 high.

Dressed for the weather, if not entirely convinced by it.