Scene from the Tale of Genji: Beneath the Oak (Ch. 46) (Translation)
源氏物語図扇面 椎本 桃山-江户時代 紙本着色 (Primary Title)
fan (Object Name)
Unknown (Artist)
A Japanese literary classic written by Murasaki Shikibu in the eleventh century, The Tale of Genji is often called the world’s first novel. Informed in part by her eight-year stay in Kyoto, where she served as a lady-in-waiting to Emperor Ichijo’s consort, Murasaki’s novel captures the drama of Japanese aristocratic society and the lives of high courtiers during the Heian period (AD 794–1185).
In fifty-four chapters, The Tale of Genji recounts the life and romances of its fictitious main character, Prince Genji. The tale follows Genji’s amorous adventures and life in Kyoto, his exile to a rural area in Suma, his return and rise to the highest imperial office, and his death at age fifty-two. The novel’s ending is set in the mountainous area of Uji where stories about Genji's descendants are told. For centuries, The Tale of Genji has inspired Japanese artists. The paintings in this gallery illustrate The Tale of Genji using lyrical colors and monochrome ink in fine lines in the styles of the Tosa or Rinpa schools of painting.
This album leaf illustrates a scene in chapter forty-six: Prince Niou, Genji’s grandson, travels on a boat to visit the Eight Prince’s villa. He and the princes who accompany him hear music as they approach the villa. On the banks of the Uji River, mountain cherries bloom in February. The fine lines, intricate details, and the use of mica on the surface of the painting suggest the painting dates to the late 16th century.
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