Illustration of the Genji Monogatari (The Perfumed Prince) 

This illustration of the Genji Monogatari, or The Tale of Genji, was created by Tosa Mitsuoki, a painter who lived in Japan during the Edo period. Mitsuoki was a member of the Tosa school of painting which specialized in Yamato-e style images, often taking inspiration from classical Japanese literature. The Genji Monogatari, written by Murasaki Shikibu, a female novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court during the Heian period, is widely regarded as the world's first novel. Here, Tosa Mitsuoki depicts a scene from The Tale of Genji, capturing the elegance and refinement of the Heian court, where the characters navigate complex social hierarchies and romantic entanglements. How might the artist have used the visual elements in this painting to convey the characters' emotional states? Is he maintaining the traditional representations of the aristocracy or developing alternative narratives? The painting, with its delicate lines and rich colors, offers a glimpse into the cultural values and aesthetic sensibilities of 17th-century Japan while reinterpreting a classic story through a contemporary lens.