The Master Poets
Object Details
- Artist
- Sakai Hoitsu 酒井抱一 (1761-1828)
- Label
- Poetry composition was so highly valued in the court of the Heian period (794-1185) that imperial requests to select outstanding poets from ancient to modern times were issued as early as the tenth century. The Thirty-six Immortal Poets (Sanju rokkasen) were first selected in the eleventh century. Since the immortal poets had been deceased for generations, imaginary portraits were painted in sequences on handscrolls, wooden panels hung in temples, fans, screens, and sets of game cards. Here, Sakai Hoitsu emulated a composition by the artist Ogata Korin (1658-1716), whose works he studied and admired, by painting thirty-five of the thirty-six immortal poets as if they had all gathered for a party or contest to compose poetry. Hoitsu's playful and humorous poets include noble men and women, Buddhist monks, and the highest-ranking poet, the imperial princess Saigu no Nyo go, who is hidden behind the curtain at the top of the scroll.
- Collection
- Freer Gallery of Art Collection
- Exhibition History
- Games, Contests and Artful Play in Japan (March 19 to October 23, 2005)
- Portraiture from Japan (July 1, 1983 to April 5, 1984)
- Special Exhibition—Japanese Art (October 16, 1963 to August 18, 1967)
- Credit Line
- Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
- 1761-1828
- Period
- Edo period
- Accession Number
- F1960.31
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- Painting
- Medium
- Ink, color, and gold on silk
- Dimensions
- H x W (image): 137 × 68.1 cm (53 15/16 × 26 13/16 in)
- Origin
- Japan
- Related Online Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- See more items in
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
- Topic
- portrait
- Edo period (1615 - 1868)
- poet
- Daoist Immortals
- Japan
- kakemono
- Japanese Art
- Record ID
- fsg_F1960.31
- Metadata Usage (text)
- Usage conditions apply
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye326645b14-e749-47c1-a3c6-f410c4e8193e
Related Content
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.