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Irises
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The subject of this painting comes from a 10th-century text. It tells of a young nobleman’s journey into the lonely countryside, far from the capital city of Heian-kyō (Kyoto). There he came upon a small stream, the banks of which were covered with blooming irises, on which the artist has chosen to focus our attention. While viewing the beautiful flowers the nobleman composed a poem:<br><br><em>I have a beloved wife, <br>Familiar as the skirt of a well-worn robe, <br>And so this distant journeying <br>Fills my heart with grief. </em>
| Artist / Maker | Watanabe Shikō |
|---|---|
| Date | 1700s |
| Culture / Origin | Japan, Edo period (1615–1868) |
| Medium | One of a pair of six-panel folding screens, ink and color on gilded paper |
| Dimensions | Painting: 154.4 x 360.4 cm (60 13/16 x 141 7/8 in.); Mounted: 170.7 x 376.7 cm (67 3/16 x 148 5/16 in.) |
| Department | Japanese Art |
| Type | Painting |
About the Artist
BiographyWatanabe Shikō (1683–1755) — Painter (1683-1755).Watanabe Shikō worked as painter and artist and is associated with Tokugawa shogunate. Their documented life spans the years 1683 to 1755, born in Kyoto.Disciplinespainter, artistBorn1683, KyotoDied1755NationalityTokugawa shogunateSources: Wikidata · Wikipedia Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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