Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
"Exile to Suma" (Suma) and "A Boat Cast Adrift" (Ukifune)
Not on view
In a scene from Chapter 12 on the right screen, Genji stands out against the muted palette of a desolate seascape at Suma, surrounded by a spring garden of cherry blossoms, peonies, camellias, and azaleas. The scene from Chapter 51, “A Boat Cast Adrift,” on the left screen takes place at Uji and shows Genji’s grandson, Prince Niou, in pursuit of Ukifune. The painting places unusual emphasis on the watchman on a veranda plucking his bow, with three dogs charging out from the property. Both screens feature a courtly protagonist who is conspicuously out of place in rural surroundings. An inscription attributes them to Tosa Mitsunobu, but they are more likely by an artist working in the style of Tosa Mitsumoto.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.