Scene from the "Spring Shoots II" Chapter of The Tale of Genji, 16th century
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Ink on paperexpand_more
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundationexpand_more 2015.79.36
Not on Viewexpand_more
Although it is now mounted as a hanging scroll, this painting is one small section of a set of handscrolls illustrating The Tale of Genji. The painter, likely a woman, depicts a scene from chapter 35, “Spring Shoots II,” when Genji accompanies several women on a pilgrimage. The women are shown in interior spaces defined by diagonal walls and screens. At far right two men are seated on a veranda. The three principal female characters at left are each identified by name.
Monochrome drawings like this represent a style of painting known as hakubyō, or “white drawing.” Hakubyō-style pictures of The Tale of Genji were popular during the Muromachi period (1392–1573) and were created by amateur women painters in a private, aristocratic setting, in stark contrast to the colorful folding screens usually commissioned by powerful men and done by professional painters.
Details
- Title
- Scene from the "Spring Shoots II" Chapter of The Tale of Genji
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.79.36
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 64
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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