Artwork

藤原清忠「業兼本時代不同歌合絵巻」断簡|The Poet Fujiwara Kiyotada, from the “Narikane Version” of Thirty-six Poetic Immortals

藤原清忠「業兼本時代不同歌合絵巻」断簡|The Poet Fujiwara Kiyotada, from the “Narikane Version” of Thirty-six Poetic Immortals is an ink painting. It dates from 1249 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This artwork, titled The Poet Fujiwara Kiyotada, is a fragment from the “Narikane Version” of the Thirty-six Poetic Immortals.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Rendered as a portrait within a handscroll format later mounted as a hanging scroll, the work emphasizes the poet's stature in the canon of Japanese poetry.

The painting presents Fujiwara Kiyotada, a male poet identified in the "Narikane Version" of the Thirty-six Poetic Immortals, as a representative figure of a celebrated literary lineage. Rendered as a portrait within a handscroll format later mounted as a hanging scroll, the work emphasizes the poet's stature in the canon of Japanese poetry. Created in 1249 in Japan, the painting belongs to the Kamakura period and commemorates a revered poet of the earlier Heian era.

As part of a series honoring eminent poets, the piece serves as a visual homage to their enduring literary influence.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in ink and color on paper, originating from a handscroll that has been remounted as a hanging scroll. Created in 1249, the fragment depicts the poet Fujiwara Kiyotada as part of a larger sequence. Classified within the portrait genre, the piece demonstrates the formal qualities of a Japanese painting from the Kamakura period.

The support is paper, and the medium combines ink with pigments to render the figure. As a surviving section of a handscroll, its current presentation reflects its adaptation for display as a vertical hanging format.

History & Provenance

The work was produced in Japan in 1249 by an anonymous painter as a section of a handscroll depicting the poet Fujiwara Kiyotada, part of the "Narikane Version" of the Thirty-six Poetic Immortals. The fragment was later mounted as a hanging scroll and entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is classified as a portrait painting in ink and color on paper.

Its accession number is not specified in the available documentation, and no exhibition record appears in the cited sources; the museum lists the piece within the broader category of Japanese paintings, confirming its provenance from Japan.

Overview

This artwork, titled The Poet Fujiwara Kiyotada, is a fragment from the “Narikane Version” of the Thirty-six Poetic Immortals. Executed with ink and color on paper, it originally formed part of a longer handscroll before being remounted as a hanging scroll. The painting presents a solitary figure, Fujiwara Kiyotada, seated in traditional Japanese attire, with a poem visible before him, capturing a moment of quiet reflection.

Context

This painting originates from the “Narikane Version” of the Thirty-six Poetic Immortals, a significant compilation that brought together poets from different eras for a fictional poetry contest. Handscrolls were a prevalent medium for conveying narratives and poetic themes in Japan, offering an intimate viewing experience. This fragment provides insight into the visual culture surrounding classical Japanese poetry and the veneration of its practitioners within artistic traditions.

清原元輔「為重本　時代不同歌合絵巻」断簡　|The Poet Kiyohara Motosuke, from the “Tameshige Version” of Thirty-six Poetic Immortals (Tameshige-bon Jidai fudō utawase emaki)

Artist & collection

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art

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