The Tale of Genji
This pair of screens captures a dozen episodes from The Tale of Genji, written in the early eleventh century by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting and poet at the imperial palace. As pointed out elsewhere in this gallery, Genji details the life, loves, and political intrigue of the radiant Genji, a nobleman at the Heian court. Each panel here illustrates a famous scene from the story.
Although Genji was a frequent subject for Tosa school painters, a close examination of the facial expressions and attire in this example reveals something radically different, pleasantly unorthodox, and vibrantly colorful. These paintings embrace a style associated with Iwasa Matabei (1578–1650), renowned for his depictions of classical literature, and were created within a generation or two of his death.
Although Genji was a frequent subject for Tosa school painters, a close examination of the facial expressions and attire in this example reveals something radically different, pleasantly unorthodox, and vibrantly colorful. These paintings embrace a style associated with Iwasa Matabei (1578–1650), renowned for his depictions of classical literature, and were created within a generation or two of his death.
Artwork Details
- 岩佐派筆 源氏物語図屏風
- Title: The Tale of Genji
- Artist: Iwasa school
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: late 17th–early 18th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Pair of six-panel screens: ink and color on paper
- Dimensions: Each: Image: 50 3/8 × 20 3/8 in. (128 × 51.7 cm)
Overall with mounting: 67 1/8 in. × 12 ft. 5 in. (170.5 × 378.4 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2023
- Object Number: 2023.583.14.1, .2
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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