Woman of Takayasu, from the Tales of Ise, early 19th century
Sakai Hōitsuexpand_more
Ink and color on silkexpand_more
Gift of Elizabeth and Willard Clarkexpand_more 2013.30.9
Not on Viewexpand_more
This is a scene from the Tales of Ise (Ise monogatari), a collection of prose and poetry from the 10th century. As the story goes, a husband starts an affair with a woman from Takayasu. Since his wife does not appear jealous, he suspects that she has a lover, too, and one day he hides in the garden to observe her. When he sees her reciting a poem about her wish for him to return safely from his journey, the husband decides never to visit his mistress again. Some time later, on a trip to Takayasu, he visits the former mistress's house and, as depicted here, sees her in careless attire, with a rice ladle in her hands and an overflowing bowl of food. This sight disgusts him so much that he decides never to return to Takayasu again.
Sakai Hōitsu was not only a painter but also a poet and a man of letters. He came from a high-level samurai family, but chose to enter the priesthood at 36 rather than follow a political career. After 1797, he devoted himself solely to the decorative Rinpa school with the aim of reviving the style of Ogata Kōrin, an artist who had worked for the Sakai family five generations earlier.
Details
- Title
- Woman of Takayasu, from the Tales of Ise
- Artist Life
- 1761 - 1828
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2013.30.9
- 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.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.