Fifty-four Scenes from the Tale of Genji [right of a pair] by Tosa Mitsuoki

Fifty-four Scenes from the Tale of Genji [right of a pair] c. late 17th century

natural stone pattern

abstract painting

water colours

japan

possibly oil pastel

stoneware

organic pattern

underpainting

painting painterly

watercolour bleed

watercolor

This six-panel screen, "Fifty-four Scenes from the Tale of Genji" (right of a pair) was created in the late 17th century by prominent Japanese artist, Tosa Mitsuoki. The screen, measuring over 143 inches long, displays a series of scenes from the 11th-century masterpiece “The Tale of Genji." Each scene is depicted within a circular frame, surrounded by calligraphic text, illustrating a key moment from the epic tale. The screen is a stunning example of Edo-period Japanese art and a testament to Mitsuoki's mastery of the *yamato-e* style.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Pictures and short passages of text brushed on 108 small squares of paper arranged on the surface of these screens represent the entirety of The Tale of Genji, with a text-image pairing for each of the Tale’s 54 chapters. Reading the passages of classical Japanese written in elegant calligraphy or identifying a specific scene from the Tale and recalling the characters and dramas involved could provide hours of fun for the screens’ owners and guests. But the screens also could have served simply as a luxurious backdrop for some gathering.