Artwork

Young Woman Walking in Snow with Umbrella

Young Woman Walking in Snow with Umbrella, by Suzuki Harunobu
Young Woman Walking in Snow with Umbrella, by Suzuki Harunobu

Young Woman Walking in Snow with Umbrella is a print by the Impressionist artist Suzuki Harunobu. It is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Suzuki Harunobu’s print titled Young Woman Walking in Snow with Umbrella dates to 1890 and is part of the collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The composition captures a solitary figure moving through a wintry landscape, her posture and accessories suggesting both practicality and elegance within a seasonal setting.

Subject & Meaning

The image depicts a woman in a black kimono edged with red and blue trim, holding a striped umbrella that leans to one side as she walks. Her hair is arranged in a high style secured with a comb, while snowflakes drift against a muted gray sky, evoking a quiet, contemplative moment in winter.

Technique & Style

Harunobu employs flat areas of color and crisp, unmodulated lines, avoiding the use of deep chiaroscuro. The print’s surface is marked by a clear delineation of forms, with the umbrella’s stripes and the kimono’s trim rendered in bold, contrasting hues that emphasize pattern over three‑dimensional modeling.

History & Provenance

The work entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings, where it is displayed as an example of late nineteenth‑century Japanese printmaking. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s broader effort to represent the evolution of ukiyo‑e and related print traditions.

Context

Created during a period when Japanese prints were increasingly collected in the West, the piece illustrates the enduring appeal of everyday scenes rendered with refined decorative sensibility. Harunobu’s choice of a winter motif aligns with a tradition of seasonal imagery that conveyed both aesthetic and cultural values.

Artist & collection

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.