Ama no Tajikara no Mikoto from The Cave Door of Spring
1825
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1825
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This painting shows a scene from Japanese mythology. It depicts a moment from the legend of Amaterasu, the Shinto Sun Goddess. The story behind this image is interesting - Amaterasu was offended by her brother and hid in a cave, causing darkness on earth. The attempts to lure her out were creative, with music and dance. A mirror hung from a tree finally caught her attention. This legend is still part of Japanese culture. You can learn more about this style by looking at the work of artist: Totoya Hokkei (Japanese, 1780–1850)
