Scenes from the Tale of Genji

Cleveland Museum of Art

The image depicts a six-panel screen painting titled "Scenes from the Tale of Genji" by an unknown artist. The painting shows multiple scenes on a gold background, with a black frame around the edges. The scenes feature people in traditional Japanese clothing and various buildings, trees, hills, and a bridge. The buildings are mostly one-story structures with tiled roofs, some have open sides, and others have walls. There are approximately 20-25 people in the scenes, some are standing, sitting, or walking. A few trees have white blossoms, and one has green leaves. In the background, there are several hills and mountains. The bridge connects two areas and has a railing. The painting style is traditional Japanese, with gold leaf used extensively in the background. The overall composition is busy, with many elements and people, but the gold background ties the scenes together.