Portrait of a Beauty

A (bust) portrait of an unidentified woman holding an opened gold-leafed fan, enveloped by an inscription by Gyokuzan. The mounting is a printed series of random and fragmentary quotations from the Tale of Genji.

Storage box with inscribed lid and paper label. Handwritten documents in the box.

ā€¦ Read More

Maker(s)
Artist: Shuransai Zengo (late 18th-ea.19th c.)
Inscription: Inscription by Okada Gyokuzan å²”ē”°ēŽ‰å±± (?-1807 or 1808)
Historical period(s)
Edo period, late 18th-early 19th century
Medium
Ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H x W (image): 82.6 x 27.7 cm (32 1/2 x 10 7/8 in)
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
Purchase ā€” Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1995.10a-f
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Hanging scroll

Keywords
bijinga, Edo period (1615 - 1868), fan, Japan, kakemono, portrait, woman
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

A (bust) portrait of an unidentified woman holding an opened gold-leafed fan, enveloped by an inscription by Gyokuzan. The mounting is a printed series of random and fragmentary quotations from the Tale of Genji.

Storage box with inscribed lid and paper label. Handwritten documents in the box.

Inscription(s)

1. (Jim Ulak, 21 August 1995) Inscription by Gyokuzan. For discussion of this see comment #1.

Label

This work presents, in word and image, a candid record of rivalry between artists. Gyokuzan, the author of the long inscription on this painting, was a well-known Osaka book illustrator. In the text he obliquely and derisively describes the popularity of the Kyoto artisit Gion Seitoku. Gyokuzan then praises the talent of his own student, Zengo, who produced the courtesan painting beneath the text, noting that Seitoku's talent is easily matched.

Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use

Related Objects