今様源氏紫絹蛍遊び|Modern Genji – Firefly Viewing (Imayō genji shiken hotaru asobi)
Medium
Central sheet of a triptych; woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 14 1/2 × 10 1/16 in. (36.9 × 25.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Museum Accession
Accession Number
JP1093.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant woodblock print, created by Toyohara Kunichika in 1861, forms the central panel of a triptych titled *Modern Genji – Firefly Viewing*. As an ukiyo-e artist working at the close of Japan’s Edo period, Kunichika reimagines scenes from the classical *Tale of Genji* in contemporary settings, blending literary tradition with the lively spirit of 19th-century urban culture. The scene captures figures enjoying a summer evening of firefly viewing amid houses, bridges, and leafy trees, evoking themes of fleeting beauty and refined leisure. Printed with ink and color on paper, the work exe...
About the Artist
Toyohara Kunichika · 1835–1900
Japanese, 1835–1900