Moon Viewing, from The Tale of Heike
Yosa Buson · 1700s · Cleveland Museum of Art
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From the museum
Drawing from Japanese literature, Yosa Buson copied almost the entire text of the “Moon Viewing” episode from The Tale of the Heike, a story of the rise and fall of the Taira family. The two characters he painted were given nicknames based on 31-syllable waka poems they composed. Seen from behind at the top is Matsuyoi, or “Waiting at Nightfall,” while the person striding below is Mono ka wa Kurando, roughly equivalent to “‘It’s Nothing’ Chamberlain.” The Tale of the Heike is a great historical romance written around 1240.
The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC0
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Details
- Maker
- Yosa Buson (Japanese, 1716–1783)
- Date
- 1700s
- Medium
- hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper
- Dimensions
- Overall: 157.5 x 28.6 cm (62 x 11 1/4 in.); Painting only: 111.3 x 27.1 cm (43 13/16 x 10 11/16 in.)
- Place of origin
- Japan
- Held by
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · On view · 235A Japanese
- Credit line
- Sundry Purchase Fund
Image: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0
