Attributed to Utagawa Kunisada II – Rain in the Moonlight at Yatsuhashi – Japanese triptych

In *Rain in the Moonlight at Yatsuhashi* — *月夜の雨さつきの八ッはし* (Tsukiyo no ame, Satsuki no Yatsuhashi) —, a stroll continues despite the downpour, amid the irises and wooden footbridges. The large umbrellas tilt downward, the fabrics draw tighter around the figures, and a lantern guides their steps through the night. To the left, a child carrying long leaves adds a familiar touch to this elegant scene. The moon can be glimpsed behind the curtain of rain, while the greens of the garden echo the blues of the kimonos and the warm tones of the parasols. From one sheet to the next, the eye follows the figures above the water, discovering the flowers, the textile patterns, and the gestures they exchange. A lively landscape, whose charm lies as much in the nocturnal atmosphere as in the delicacy of these details.

About this edition:
The three sheets in this copy are mounted on a single sheet of white paper, providing a complete view of the composition. The color palette retains beautiful harmonies of watery green, dark blue, and ochre, punctuated by red. The fine lines of rain, the frames of the parasols, and the patterns on the fabrics remain clearly visible.
The paper shows stains and small tears. Despite these imperfections, the triptych retains a beautiful unity of tones and a clearly legible scene, particularly captivating for its atmosphere and grandeur.
Artist: attributed to Utagawa Kunisada II, according to the identification by the Waseda Theater Museum.
Title: Moonlit Rain at Yatsuhashi
Japanese Title: 月夜の雨さつきの八ッはし
Romanization: Tsukiyo no ame, Satsuki no Yatsuhashi
Series: 梅蝶源氏 色紫五節句 — Baichō Genji iro murasaki gosekku, dedicated to the five seasonal festivals.
Format: triptych of three vertical ōban sheets
Technique: Japanese woodblock print
Period of creation: Edo period, Ansei era
Dimensions of each sheet: 25 × 36.5 cm, width × height
Dimensions of the entire work with mounting: 80 × 39.5 cm, width × height
Presentation: three sheets mounted on a sheet of white paper
Origin: Japan

About the artist:
Utagawa Kunisada II belongs to the Utagawa school. His compositions depicting seasonal festivals combine the elegance of the figures with the festivities and the rhythm of the year. This scene offers a particularly sensitive portrayal of this theme: the attention to detail in the costumes harmonizes with the presence of flowers, water, and rain.
Museum references:
The composition is cataloged at the Tsubouchi Theater Museum at Waseda University, specifically under reference number 008-0147; the catalog entry identifies it as a work by Kunisada II.  However, a catalog entry from the Tamagawa University collections, published on Art Platform Japan, lists the same title under Kunisada I. This discrepancy in the documentation justifies the cautious attribution “attributed to Kunisada II.” These references pertain to the identification of the composition, not to the physical authentication of the specimen in question.

Ref: C1SGW07EQH