Tokiwa Gozen fleeing in winter with her sons (from The Tale of Heiji), 20th century
Ogyu Tensenexpand_more
Ink, color, mica and gold pigment on paperexpand_more
Gift of Julia Meech in memory of Patricia Salmonexpand_more 2023.65.3
Not on Viewexpand_more
Lady Tokiwa was the concubine to Minamoto no Yoshitomo, a military general during the Heian period. According to The Tale of Heiji, a historical epic based on the Heiji Rebellion of 1159-60, Lady Tokiwa fled with her three young children to Yamato province after her husband was murdered. However, she soon returned to Kyoto to plead for her mother, who had been captured by enemy forces. Struck by her beauty and determination, Taira no Kiyomori decides to show mercy to her and her children. Lady Tokiwa’s tale of valor became a popular trope in Japanese painting and literature.
The painter Ogyū Tensen was born into a family of Shintō priests but decided to pursue an artistic career when he was young. He studied with Hashimoto Gahō, a leading painter of Nihonga and entered the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Throughout his life, he won countless awards for his works, and even painted for the imperial court. He often conducted deep background research to paint historical scenes accurately.
Details
- Title
- Tokiwa Gozen fleeing in winter with her sons (from The Tale of Heiji)
- Artist Life
- 1882 - 1945
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2023.65.3
- Curator Approved
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