Lady Murasaki Writing at Ishiyama-dera

What it is

This 1767 woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu shows a woman seated at a low red writing table on a veranda, gazing upward with a brush and paper before her, set against maple branches and a river with boatmen. It depicts the legend that Murasaki Shikibu wrote part of her famous work while staying at Ishiyama-dera temple.

Why it matters

Harunobu was a noted print artist, and this image is part of a long tradition of picturing Murasaki Shikibu as an inspired writer in a beautiful natural setting. It shows how, centuries later, artists kept celebrating her as Japan's most famous woman author.

Look closer

• What does the writing table and brush tell us about how she is remembered?
• Why might the artist include a river and boatmen in the background?
• How does this print differ from a true historical record of her life?