Ariwara no Narihira
Terms of Use
Usage Conditions ApplyAt A Glance
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Period
late 17th-early 18th century -
Geography
Japan -
Material
Ink and color on silk, ivory jiku -
Dimension
H x W (image): 90.6 x 32.5 cm (35 11/16 x 12 13/16 in) -
Accession Number
F1997.9 -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1997.9
Object Details
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Artist
Sumiyoshi Gukei 住吉具慶 (1631-1705) -
Description
This painting depicts the events recounted in the fourth chapter of The Tales of Ise, the famed tenth century collection of lyric episodes. An unnamed gentleman, whom tradition has held to be the poet Ariwara no Narihira, falls deeply in love with a woman who has temporary quarters with the former empress living in the eastern Fifth ward of Kyoto. After several encounters, she leaves without explanation or notificaion. The gentleman is despondant. Over the years he attempts to console himself by visiting the site of their assignation each year in the first month at the blooming of the plum trees. His poem, inscribed at the top of the painting has been translated: Is not the moon the same? / The spring / The spring of old?/ Only this body of mine/Is the same body... / Helen Craig McCullough. Tales of Ise. Stanford, 1968. -
Inscriptions
Inscription and seal lower right. -
Label
Is not the moon the same?The springThe spring of old?Only this body of mineIs the same body. . . .The poem written in the elegant style of Japanese imperial court calligraphers expresses the sentiments of the courtier who gazes longingly from the veranda. This painting illustrates section four of Tales of Ise (Ise monogatari), in which an unnamed courtier traditionally identified with the poet and romantic hero Ariwara no Narihira (825-880) returns to the site of a love affair that had ended abruptly the previous year when the lady had moved away without a word. Transience and melancholy are eloquently expressed through the setting: a chilly night just at the transition from winter to spring, when the plum trees are in bloom. Sumiyoshi Gukei belonged to a family of painters who had served the imperial court. His father, Sumiyoshi Hiromichi (Jokei), whose handscroll painting, The Tale of the Uji Bridge Lady, had moved from the imperial capital of Kyoto to Edo to serve the Tokugawa shoguns.Translation from Helen Craig McCullough, Tales of Ise (Stanford University Press, 1968) -
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection -
Exhibition History
Painting the Classics: Japanese Scrolls and Beyond (November 17, 2018 to October 20, 2019)Poetic License: Making Old Worlds New (February 2 to August 4, 2013)Arts of Japan: Edo Aviary and Poetic License (February 2 to August 4, 2013)Tales and Legends in Japanese Art (June 21, 2003 to January 4, 2004)Beyond the Legacy--Anniversary Acquisitions of the Freer Gallery of Art (October 11, 1998 to April 11, 1999)Untitled, Tokyo National Museum, Autumn 1993 (Autumn 1993)Untitled Exhibition, Suntory Museum, 1990s (1990s) -
Origin
Japan -
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Willard Clark in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Freer Gallery of Art -
Type
Painting -
Restrictions and Rights
Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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