The Empress Akikonomu
Data
| Artist | By Ogata Korin |
|---|---|
| Period | Edo period, 18th century |
| Materials and techniques | Hanging scroll, colour on silk |
| Size | 98.8×39.0 |
Explanation
A lady, clad in a twelve-layered garment, sits with a box lid in front of her filled with beautiful red-colored maple leaves. Behind her is a screen decorated with a large scroll pattern. This is a scene from chapter twenty-one of “The Tale of Genji” called “The Maiden” and depicts a day at the palace for Akikonomu, “the Lady who loves the Autumn”, in the elegant Heian atmosphere. Among Korin’s works, there is one depicting an attendant of Akikonomu in standing posture (personal collection), which is said to form a pair with this painting. This work is one of Korin’s representative yamato-e paintings.