The Beach at Sumiyoshi from the Tales of Ise
1634
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1634
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The Beach at Sumiyoshi from the Tales of Ise is a 1634 unspecified by Tawaraya Sōtatsu, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a long, narrow scroll of waves, sand, and sky—gold clouds, a few black rocks, and tiny figures walking along the shore. The poem at the top is from a 1,000-year-old love story. It says autumn is beautiful, but spring by the sea is best. The artist painted the words and the scene together, so you read and look at the same time. If you like how words and pictures mix, try looking up *Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)*.
The poem written on the painting comes from The Tales of Ise , a 10th-century poetic narrative of love: In autumn the wild geese cry And chrysanthemums are in flower, Yet how pleasant to dwell By the sea in spring On the Beach of Sumiyoshi.
The red structure at the top of this composition is Sumiyoshi Taisha, the Grand Shrine at Sumiyoshi.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Tawaraya Sōtatsu (俵屋 宗達; c. 1570 – c. 1640) was a Japanese furniture designer and painter of the Rinpa school. Sōtatsu is best known for his decorations of calligraphic works by his partner Hon'ami Kōetsu (1558–1637),…
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