Artwork Page for Scenes from Essays in Idleness

Details / Information for Scenes from Essays in Idleness

Scenes from Essays in Idleness

徒然草図屏風

late 1700s–early 1800s

Matsumura Goshun 松村呉春

(Japanese, 1752–1811)
View all records in artwork set
Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink and color on paper
Credit Line
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 1971.43
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Matsumura Goshun inscribed passages from Buddhist monk Yoshida Kenkō’s (1283–1350) well-known collection of anecdotes, Essays in Idleness, across the top of each of the twelve panels of this pair of screens. Goshun illustrated the episodes with his vision of the figures who feature in them. The texts cascade down from right to left, forming unique compositional relationships with the images below.
A pair of six-panel folding screens, shown in two horizontal rows, features twelve tan rectangles framed in gold. In each panel, black Japanese calligraphy extends down the upper half, while figural ink and color paintings in muted blue, gray, and brown occupy the lower portion. Monks, travelers, and a fox appear against the neutral background. A fine, dark-patterned border lines the top and bottom edges, enclosing the central vertical compositions.

Scenes from Essays in Idleness

late 1700s–early 1800s

Matsumura Goshun

(Japanese, 1752–1811)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork