Picture of Taira no Tadamori Capturing the Priest of Midō Temple by Kobayashi Kiyochika

Picture of Taira no Tadamori Capturing the Priest of Midō Temple c. 1884

print, ink, color-on-paper

water colours

muted colour palette

print

collage layering style

japan

ink

color-on-paper

underpainting

painting painterly

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

mixed media

watercolor

warm toned green

Kobayashi Kiyochika's *Picture of Taira no Tadamori Capturing the Priest of Midō Temple* (c. 1884) depicts a dramatic scene from Japanese folklore. The woodblock print features a shadowy forest with lanterns illuminating the figures of the warrior Taira no Tadamori and a ghostly priest. The artwork's atmospheric use of light and shadow creates a sense of mystery and suspense, reflecting the popular genre of yōkai-e, or "monster pictures." This captivating work exemplifies Kiyochika's mastery of woodblock printmaking and his ability to bring traditional Japanese folklore to life.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

⋮

The warrior Taira Tadamori (1096–1153) was serving the retired emperor Shirakawa (1053–1129) when, one rainy night, they set out to visit a favorite concubine in the Gion district of Kyoto. On the way, a ghost-like figure appeared among the trees of a shrine. Tadamori went to subdue the beast but discovered that in fact it was an old priest with a small torch and a pot of oil, replenishing the lanterns. The emperor rewarded Tadamori's courage by granting him his concubine.