Spring and Summer [right of the pair Scenes from the Tale of Genji in the Four Seasons], mid 17th century
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
ink, color, and gold on paperexpand_more
Gift of the Clark Center for Japanese Art & Cultureexpand_more 2013.29.14.2
Not on Viewexpand_more
This pair of screens depicts 11 scenes from The Tale of Genji. Rather than presenting the scenes in the order in which they appear in the story, however, the artist presents them in seasonal order from right to left, as Japanese viewers would read them. The artist begins with mid-spring in the upper right corner, where a group of young men play kemari (a game similar to hacky sack) in a grove of cherry trees in full bloom, a scene from chapter 34. Five additional scenes in the right screen take place in late spring and early summer. In the far right panels of the left screen, autumn grasses and maple leaves announce the arrival of fall. Wintry scenes from chapters 6 and 51 are depicted at far left, where trees and rooftops are blanketed in snow.
Details
- Title
- Spring and Summer [right of the pair Scenes from the Tale of Genji in the Four Seasons]
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2013.29.14.2
- Provenance
- John Yeon; Carlos A. Quiros Richard Louis Brown until 6/1/1995 Clark Center for Japanese Art & Culture, 1995-2015
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These 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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