Illustrations of Genji Monogatari: Vol. 4, Blue Trousers

17th century

Tosa Mitsuyoshi

Japanese

Karasumaru Mitsukata

Japanese

The Tale of Genji was written in the 1000s by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting at the imperial court in Kyoto. It details the trials of Genji, a cavorting young courtier. This set of handscrolls includes a passage of text and illustration for each of the tale’s fifty-four chapters. The paintings offer glimpses of the daily lives of courtiers, including meticulous detailing of the textures and colors of interior furnishings, décor, and fashion. Beginning in the 1400s, generations of painters of the Tosa school received patronage, primarily from members of the aristocracy.

Handscroll; color and platinum on paper

10 1/2 in. (26.67 cm)

L.: 33.5 ft

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

52.40.4

Now on view at the Asian Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Legends, Tales, Poetry: Visual Narrative in Japanese Art, December 22, 2012 - July 21, 2013

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "A Thousand Years of Beauty: Japanese Art in Seattle", July 16, 2001 - November 17, 2002

Portland, Oregon, Portland Art Museum, "Gift to a City: Masterworks from the Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection in the Seattle Art Museum", cat. # 130

Published References"Gift to a City" exhibition catalogue. Portland, OR: Portland Art Museum, 1965, cat. no. 130

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Illustrations of Genji Monogatari: Vol. 4, Blue Trousers

Illustrations of Genji Monogatari: Vol. 4, Blue Trousers

Related Works

Resources