Clouds of Prince Genji
summer 1885
Medium
Color woodblock print; surimono
Dimensions
56.5 × 42 cm (22 1/4 × 16 9/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
43719
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This print by Shibata Zeshin was commissioned by the poet Hozan. Created two years later than The Cup of Long Life, it also celebrates longevity. Not only is Zeshin’s age prominently displayed (he signed the print: “the 79-year-old Zeshin”) but the occasion for the print is the commemoration of the 70th birthdays of a number of poets in Hozan’s circle. The print’s depiction of summer plants enclosed by stylized cloud banks references Tosa-school gold clouds and classical Genji images. These wer...
About the Artist
Shibata Zeshin · 1807–1891
Japanese, 1807–1891