Sudden Shower at Shōno, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō

Sudden Shower at Shōno, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō

Utagawa Hiroshige

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

One of the best-known scenes from this series, Sudden Shower at Shōno demonstrates Hiroshige's genius at capturing the sensation of a violent rainstorm. Palanquin bearers and villagers dash through the storm, and sheets of rain are represented with distinct slanted lines. Shōno had no view to match the scenery shown here, and it appears that the design was purely imaginary. The umbrella at the lower right bears two inscriptions: "Takenouchi" is the family name of the publisher of this Tōkaidō series, and "Gojūsan-tsugi" (meaning "fifty-three stations") is part of the title. Utagawa Hiroshige, one of Japan's foremost landscapists, designed two extremely popular series: Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō and One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sudden Shower at Shōno, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the TōkaidōSudden Shower at Shōno, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the TōkaidōSudden Shower at Shōno, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the TōkaidōSudden Shower at Shōno, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the TōkaidōSudden Shower at Shōno, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.