王朝文学の最高傑作『源氏物語』を題材にした、きわめて優美な屏風絵です。
物語の名場面が金雲に浮かぶように展開され、寝殿造の屋敷や華やかな装束、人物の表情まで丁寧に描きこまれています。とりわけ、緑の畳や朱の几帳、折れた障子の表現など、絵巻物からの引用も感じられる構成です。
Large Six-panel Folding Screen (Honma size: approx. 381×177cm), Edo Period
Featured in the 143rd Kogirekai Auction – Byōbu Festival
This magnificent screen illustrates iconic scenes from The Tale of Genji, the pinnacle of classical Japanese literature.
Golden clouds separate the narrative spaces, which depict courtly life, elegant costumes, architectural details, and the emotional subtleties of the story’s characters. The refined touches — such as the depiction of tatami, screens, and drapery — reflect the influence of emaki picture scrolls and bring the Heian period vividly to life.
A splendid example of Edo-period appreciation of classical aesthetics, this screen captures the grace and romance of Genji’s world in large scale.