The Tale of Genji, written in the early 11th century, is considered the world’s first novel. Composed by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady of the imperial court during the Heian period (794–1185), the masterpiece chronicles the romantic and political life of the fictional Prince Genji and spans multiple generations.

In Japanese visual arts, The Tale of Genji has been reimagined through paintings, prints, and book illustrations. The earliest representations appeared just a century after the text itself, in illustrated handscroll paintings characterized by delicate brushwork, vibrant colors, and subtle ways of presenting the narrative. By the Edo period (1603–1868), and with rising literacy, the novel’s popularity spread beyond aristocratic and samurai elites to literate urban townspeople, or chōnin 町人. The era saw a flowering of Genji imagery in popular art forms like ukiyo-e woodblock prints and illustrated books.

This exhibition celebrates the visual legacy of The Tale of Genji through two modes of artistic interpretation. The first features prints that reflect the style of the earliest 12th-century illustrations. The second reveals how 18th–19th-century artists boldly recontextualized the tale’s characters and themes into their contemporary settings.

Related videos:

• Ukiyo-e Prints in Context
• How were ukiyo-e prints made?

Images:

Utagawa Kunisada II 二代目歌川国貞 (Japanese, 1823–1900), Wakamurasaki, “Young Murasaki,” Chapter 5 from the series Game Cards for the Chapers of Lady Murassaki's Tale of Genji, 1857. Color woodblock print. Bequest of Ronald J. DiCenzo, Professor of History and East Asian Studies at Oberlin College, 1972–2005, 2020.4.6.

Utagawa Hiroshige I 初代目歌川広重 (Japanese, 1797–1858), Court Couple: Illustration to Hahakiki, Chapter 2, from the series The Fifty-four Chapters of the Tale of Genji, 1852. Color woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Mary A. Ainsworth Bequest, 1950.1222.

Chōbunsai Eishi 鳥文斎栄之 (Japanese, 1756–1829), Asagao (Morning Glories), from the series Scenes from the Tale of Genji, late 1780s. Color woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Mary A. Ainsworth Bequest, 1950.453.