Murasaki Shikibu at Ishiyamadera Temple, based on the print “The Moon at Ishiyama,” from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyakushi: Ishiyama no tsuki)
To create the compendium of one hundred images of famous moonlit scenes that inspired his print series, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi combed literature and legend for inspiration. The scene of Murasaki at her desk, about to begin writing her monumental tale, was an obvious choice, having been depicted by artists of every school. His painted rendition of the setting, however, diverges from the usual one. Rather than show a view of Lake Biwa, he depicted the outcrops of wollastonite stone surrounding Ishiyamadera (Stony Mountain Temple). From the main hall of the temple, there actually is no direct vista of the lake or vantage point with such craggy features, but the references are clear.
Artwork Details
- 月岡芳年筆 「月百姿 石山の月」
- Title: Murasaki Shikibu at Ishiyamadera Temple, based on the print “The Moon at Ishiyama,” from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyakushi: Ishiyama no tsuki)
- Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japanese, 1839–1892)
- Period: Meiji period (1868–1912)
- Date: ca. 1892
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 41 1/4 × 16 in. (104.8 × 40.6 cm)
Overall with mounting: 80 1/4 × 21 1/4 in. (203.8 × 54 cm)
Overall with knobs: 80 1/4 × 23 1/4 in. (203.8 × 59.1 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Ryo Toyonaga and Alvin E. Friedman-Kien Gift, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.41
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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