Current Location:
Wall Galleries -> Devos Gallery (GVSU Pew Campus)
Location Notes:
Currently on display at the Richard M. DeVos Center Wall Gallery, Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus as part of the exhibition, "Compelling Visions: The Art of Narrative in Japanese Prints"




Prince Genji and Beauty Doing Origami

Artwork
Identifier:
2024.19.5a-c
Artist:
Utagawa Kuniaki II
Credit:
GVSU Collection
Medium:
Woodblock print
Date:
1869
Dimensions:
Artworks - Height: 13.75" Width: 28.75"
Description:
A three piece woodblock print of four women. The woman in the leftmost panel is standing next to a child while the women in the right two panels are sitting on the ground.
Historical Context:
Kuniaki II became famous for his Japanese genre prints of actors and beauties during the late Edo period. The male image on the left represents the main character from The Tale of Genji, a classic work of Japanese literature from the early 11th century. It was authored by Murasaki Shikibu, a noblewoman, poet, and lady-in-waiting. The story depicts the lifestyles of high courtiers during the Heian period.