Genre Figures
1816
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1816
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Genre Figures is a 1816 unspecified by Takebe Sōchō, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see three people in a room: a woman sewing, a man reading, and a child playing with a toy. This painting was once part of a folding screen, later cut into scrolls. The quiet scene feels like a snapshot of daily life in old Japan—no drama, just real moments. The artist, Takebe Sōchō, worked outside the famous schools but still made work that feels alive today. To see more like this, look up *Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)*.
Though rarely mentioned in official histories, Socho was an accomplished painter whose talent is readily apparent to the modern eye. For his compositions he chose traditional Japanese stories or everyday events. This painting belongs to a triptych (set of three) that was recently converted from folding screen panels to hanging scrolls.
The adult in this painting transports a small sculpted image of the fox deity Inari atop his head.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
