Early Edo Period (17th c.)／Color on gold-leaf paper, pair of six-fold screens
154.4 x 361.1 cm (each)
SUMMARY
It is said that illustration of The Tale of Genji began shortly after the original text came into being, in paintings called Genji-e. From then on, it was painted by various artists throughout the Middle Ages and the early modern period, and became a ubiquitous and classical theme in Japanese painting. This piece, close to the style of Iwasa Matabei (who was active in the early Edo period), subdivides the screen with golden clouds and walls, and comprises a total of twelve scenes selected from the 54 chapters of The Tale of Genji, including Kiritsubo and Akashi. The scene Tamakazura is painted at the top of the left screen, with the figures of Hikaru Genji and Murasaki no Ue choosing clothing to gift for the New Year in spring.
ARTIST
Iwasa School
A school of painting founded by Iwasa Matabei (Katsumochi), who made his name as a painter of Yamato-e and genre paintings from the Momoyama period to the early Edo period. Matabei was the son of Araki Murashige, a daimyo of the Sengoku period. His depictions of people with plump cheeks and long jaws are characteristic, and notable works include The Tale of Yamanaka Tokiwa. In recent years, there has been strong belief that In and Around the City of Kyoto (Funaki version) was also one of his pieces. There seem to have been many students of the school besides Matabei, including Iwasa Genbei (Katsushige) and Iwasa Youn (Mochishige).
List of artworks by the same artist
INFORMATION
8 25, 2019 （Sun.）～9 29 （Sun.）
This Is Japan In Kyoto From The Tokyo Fuji Art Museum Collection The Museum of Kyoto (Kyoto, Japan)
6 19, 2008 （Thu.）～8 24 （Sun.）
Eternal Treasures of Japan: The Art of the Samurai National Museum of the Cultural Complex of the Republic (Brasilia, Brazil)
10 5, 2002 （Sat.）～11 4 （Mon.）
Art of the West & Art of Japan Exhibition: Monet, Renoir, Cezanne… Ikeno Taiga, Tani Buncho, and Others Shimane Art Museum (Shimane, Japan)
5 1, 1998 （Fri.）～6 30 （Tue.）
Treasures of Japanese Arts and Crafts—400 Years of Japanese Art from the Momoyama Period to Modernity National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Taipei, Taiwan)
2 10, 1995 （Fri.）～4 16 （Sun.）
Treasures of Japanese Art: Edo Period 1615-1868 La Pedrera / The House Mila (Barcelona, Spain)
9 23, 1994 （Fri.）～1 22 （Sun.）
Treasures of Japanese Art: Edo Period 1615-1868 Juan March Foundation (Madrid, Spain)
5 28, 1994 （Sat.）～7 18 （Mon.）
Treasures of Japanese Art: The World of the Samurai Medici Museum, Medici-Riccardi Palace (Florence, Italy)
1 26, 1992 （Sun.）～3 22 （Sun.）
Treasures of Japanese Art from the TFAM Collection Kunstlerhaus (Vienna, Austria)
9 26, 1990 （Wed.）～12 9 （Sun.）
Treasures of Japanese Art National Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities (Stockholm, Sweden)
3 3, 1990 （Sat.）～4 10 （Tue.）
Eternal Treasures of Japanese Culture: Beauty and Spirit of Japan National Museum of Fine Arts (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
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