Fidelity (Shin), with Murasaki Shikibu and (Translation)
Five Cardinal Virtues (Series Title)
五常 信 紫式部と和歌 (Primary Title)
((not entered))
Suzuki Harunobu 鈴木春信, Japanese, 1724 - 1770 (Artist)
Lady Murasaki Shikibu (ca. 978-1014), noblewoman and author of Tale of Genji, is shown here seated contemplatively at a desk with scrolls, books, and writing utensils. The setting is Ishiyama temple in Kyoto, where Murasaki secluded herself to write. While Genji is an established theme in Japanese art, through many depictions of the events in the story, images of Murasaki herself, like this one, are quite atypical. In the 1760s, Harunobu’s prints began appearing in vibrant color, sometimes requiring more than eight separate woodblocks.
Edo period (1615-1868)
春信画 Harunobu ga
None
Inscribed upper right: 悲をしりて 善をミちびく 心こそ まことの信と いふべかりけり (To be aware of benevolence and to lead the way toward goodness: this is true fidelity. Trans. Scholten Japanese Art, 2016)
Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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