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wood prints japan wood prints color image wood prints edo period wood prints horizontal wood prints poet wood prints colors wood prints illustration wood prints human interest wood prints topix wood prints ink wood prints

drawings japan drawings color image drawings edo period drawings horizontal drawings poet drawings colors drawings illustration drawings human interest drawings topix drawings ink drawings

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Thirty-Six Immortal Poets, mid 1700s. The "Thirty-Six Immortal Poets" were chosen by Fujiwara no Kinto (996-1075), a Japanese nobleman, scholar, and poet of the Heian period. He compiled a collection of the works of the 36 celebrated writers of waka (31-syllable poems) during the 7th to 11th centuries. From about the 11th century on, poetry and painting contests provided entertainment at fashionable gatherings, and the "thirty-six poets" became a favorite subject in Japanese art. These poets were traditionally portrayed in a dignified manner befitting their aristocratic rank, but in this interpretation they are unceremoniously packed together in a confining space. This engaging screen painting is done in the Rimpa style, emphasizing bold colour, simple silhouettes, and asymmetrical compositions. Traditionally, individuality was not a quality emphasized in Japan; even in these "portraits" it is virtually impossible to distinguish who's who among the faces of the poets. Creator Katsushik...