Scenes from the Tale of Genji
Unknown Artist
late 1700s
Medium
One of a pair of six-panel folding screens; ink and color on gilded paper
Dimensions
image: 154.5 × 351.2 cm · painting only: 154.6 × 351.6 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of William G. Mather
Accession Number
1948.124.2
About this artwork
Folding screens served as temporary dividers in traditional Japanese open-plan architectural spaces. This pair was inspired by Japan’s most celebrated work of literature, the Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu, an attendant to the empress in the early 11th-century imperial court. The novel follows the love life of the “Shining Prince” Genji and delves into the psychological states of his many companions. Distinct episodes are nestled within a matrix of golden clouds and landscape element...