Kunisada II (Toyokuni IV) 1823 - 1880, A Modern Genji, 1860. Oban triptych.
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Luxe, Calme et Volupté… . Matisse’s dictum and painting are surely distant cousins to these Genji pieces by Kunisada, these late flowerings (literally in this case) of the spirit of the Floating World, this ukiyo-e which had such reverberations on artists of the twentieth century. Charles Baudelaire’s poem L'Invitation au voyage contains the lines;
There, all is order and beauty
Luxury, peace, and pleasure.
… a virtual declaration of the spirit of ukiyo. Baudelaire was of course a huge admirer of all things Japanese and so the links between this overwhelmingly beautiful print and Matisse’s great painting are forged.
The Tale of Genji is a classic work of Japanese literature written by the noblewoman and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu in the early years of the 11th century, around the peak of the Heian period. It is sometimes called the world's first novel, the first modern novel, the first psychological novel or the first novel still to be considered a classic. Notably, the work also illustrates a unique depiction of the lifestyles of high courtiers during the Heian period. It was popular throughout the ukiyo period but became a craze in nineteenth century Japan following new translations and subsequent satires. In the Edo period (1603-1868), The Tale of Genji was imagined and reimagined countless times. In both archaic and contemporary forms, the story had been relocated from the old capital of Kyoto to the new audience of Edo. A key proponent to the reinvigoration of this classic tale was the extremely popular serialisation of Ryutei Tanehiko's (1783-1842) illustrated book False Murasaki and a Rural Genji, a loose adaptation that interwove contemporary culture to the original plot. The text of Tanehiko’s Genji was illustrated by the renowned woodblock artist, Kunisada, and the series achieved enormous commercial success, giving birth to a whole new genre in the world of woodblock prints: genji-e ("pictures of Genji").
Kunisada produced dozens of triptychs and several series on the subject as did other artists. Consisting of fifty-four chapters in trilogy, it is a biographical tale of the main character Prince Genji and his descendants after his death, which continues for 70 years, with five hundred castings and more or less eight hundred poems. It recounted Prince Genji’s involvement with ladies of the court, but it was more than just a romantic love story of high society. It was a psychological insight into the principles of human life, being read by enlightened and educated nobles in the Imperial Court. The Tale of Genji is now considered to be a Japanese classic masterpiece and one of the most influential work of literature in history. It has also been translated in numerous foreign languages since.
In this lush print with its subtle nocturne colours, we see Prince Genji in the centre sheet, hiding from court ladies beneath a pile of kimonos. The scene is one of flirtatious, sophisticated entertainment, although the central female’s roll of tissues suggest that there will be a sexual interlude when the game of hide and seek is over. It’s a great print; the colours are fresh, impression and condition are very good, with some minor surface wear. Unbacked.
73 x 35 cm.
