Details

Lillian May Miller was an American painter, woodblock printmaker, and poet born in Tokyo, Japan. After her formal education in the United States, Miller returned to Asia in 1918. Miller began producing woodblock prints when she returned, but printmaking was secondary to her career as a journalist and secretary/clerk for the State Department and the American Embassy for much of her professional life. Perhaps because Miller was born in Japan and spent a significant portion of her youth receiving art education and training in Asia, her work illustrates a direct engagement and understanding of Japanese artistic philosophy and aesthetics from within the tradition.

In this design, a spring rain erupts as people with brightly colored umbrellas scurry over to a bridge in an attempt to find shelter. The background is executed in a sepia tone suggesting the menacing light of an approaching storm. The emphasis of this design is on the umbrellas themselves, as Miller gives them distinct patterns and brightly colored configurations. Positioned at varying heights throughout the composition and set against the background’s neutral sepia tone, the umbrellas create a sense of movement and amplify the drama throughout the work. The composition is well-balanced and yet charged with anticipation for the coming lighting and thunder, which may be only moments away.

Connoisseur's Note

This design is one of two versions produced by the artist. Rain Blossoms, Japan A, is executed with a gray coloration in the background that is more subdued. Of the two designs, version B, shown here, is the more successful and, consequently, the most desirable among collectors. Of all the Western artists working in Asia at this time, Miller’s work is perhaps the rarest in the marketplace. Simply put, she was not a professional artist, which resulted in much smaller output.