Who painted 保元平治合戦図屏風|The Rebellions of the Hōgen and Heiji Eras?

保元平治合戦図屏風|The Rebellions of the Hōgen and Heiji Eras was painted by Unknown in 1650.

Where can I see 保元平治合戦図屏風|The Rebellions of the Hōgen and Heiji Eras?

保元平治合戦図屏風|The Rebellions of the Hōgen and Heiji Eras is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 保元平治合戦図屏風|The Rebellions of the Hōgen and Heiji Eras?

保元平治合戦図屏風|The Rebellions of the Hōgen and Heiji Eras is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

保元平治合戦図屏風|The Rebellions of the Hōgen and Heiji Eras

Unknown , 1650

保元平治合戦図屏風|The Rebellions of the Hōgen and Heiji Eras is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Unknown. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work consists of two six‑panel folding screens that together portray a tumultuous battle from the Hōgen and Heiji uprisings.

Accession no.: 57.156.4, .5
Credit line: Rogers Fund, 1957

About this work

Overview

The work consists of two six‑panel folding screens that together portray a tumultuous battle from the Hōgen and Heiji uprisings. Executed on paper with ink, pigments, and applied gold and gold leaf, the composition is dominated by earthy yellow‑brown tones that heighten the sense of movement and chaos.

Subject & Meaning

The screens depict a dense melee of mounted warriors and foot soldiers locked in combat, set against a distant mountainous backdrop dotted with trees and structures. The crowded figures convey the ferocity of the 12th‑century conflicts that marked the transition from aristocratic to samurai dominance in Japan.

Technique & Style

Artists employed a combination of ink line work and opaque color washes, accentuated by gold leaf to highlight armor, weapons, and architectural elements. The meticulous rendering of individual horses and combatants demonstrates a high level of craftsmanship typical of elite screen painting in the late medieval period.

History & Provenance

Created as a pair of six‑panel folding screens, the piece was likely commissioned for a noble household to commemorate the Hōgen and Heiji rebellions. Its survival in two separate panels suggests it remained intact as a functional decorative object, though specific ownership records are not documented in the available sources.

Context

The battle scenes reflect the political upheaval of the mid‑1100s, when rival factions of the imperial court and emerging warrior clans clashed. Such narrative screens served both as visual records of historical events and as status symbols for patrons who wished to align themselves with the victorious samurai ethos.