Tenji Tenno (The Emperor Tenji), first poet in the series One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets Explained by the Nurse
c. 1835/36
Medium
Color woodblock print; yoko oban
Dimensions
26.2 × 37.7 cm (10 3/8 × 14 7/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
89508
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Emperor Tenji (628–681) reigned from 668 to 671, during which he established Japan’s first code of civil law. This scene is based on the story that while the emperor was traveling in the countryside, a sudden shower forced him to take shelter in a flimsy, temporary hut in a rice field. His poem expresses his sympathy for his subjects who must work and endure every day under such conditions. Coarse the rush-mat roof Sheltering the harvest hut Of the autumn rice field— And my sleeves are growi...
About the Artist
Katsushika Hokusai · 1760–1849
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) stands as one of history's most influential artists, a Japanese master who revolutionized the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and profoundly shaped Western art. Born in the Katsushika district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to an artisan family, Hokusai lived through nearly nine decades of extraordinary creative evolution, adopting over thirty different artistic names t...