cover image The Tale of Genji: Legends and Paintings

The Tale of Genji: Legends and Paintings

Miyeko Murase. George Braziller, $45 (144pp) ISBN 978-0-8076-1500-3

The renowned 11th-century Japanese literary masterpiece is receiving great attention these days (see PW Interview, Aug. 20). Here it is paid elegant tribute in The Tale of Genji: Paintings and Legends, introduced by Miyeko Murase (Bridge of Dreams), professor emerita at Columbia University and research curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Murasaki Shikibu, a 30-year-old woman, wrote the story in 54 chapters made up of 795 31-syllable poems; the full English translation exceeds 1,000 pages. The tale has captivated Japanese artists and has been rendered, variously and often, over the centuries. Murase presents one of the most famous series of paintings, called the Burke albums, initially attributed to the 17th-century master Tosa Mitsuoki, though Miyase finds reason to believe the series is the work of an anonymous painter of the Tosa school. The delicate, gold-inked illustrations (one for each chapter) appear alongside a summarized version of the story. Murase's excellent, accessible scholarship will give readers a deeper understanding of traditional Japanese painting. (Sept.)