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Secondary sourcePainting19th century

Murasaki Shikibu Composing the Tale of Genji at Ishiyamadera

Yashima Gakutei · 19th century

A 19th-century painting imagining Murasaki Shikibu writing her famous novel at a temple.

This painting illustrates the legend that Murasaki Shikibu wrote the Tale of Genji at Ishiyama temple.

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Painting of a woman in a red and patterned kimono reclining on a mat on a wooden veranda, resting her head on her hand beside a low writing desk with an inkstone. Pine trees and blossoming cherry trees frame the scene, with a lake, boats, reeds, and distant hills behind.
Yashima Gakutei, Murasaki Shikibu Composing the Tale of Genji at Ishiyamadera, 19th century.

About this source

What it is

This painting by Yashima Gakutei, made in the 19th century, shows a woman reclining on a veranda beside a writing desk, surrounded by pine and cherry trees, a lake, and distant hills.

Why it matters

The scene illustrates a legend that Murasaki Shikibu began writing the Tale of Genji at Ishiyama temple. Though created centuries after her death, it shows how deeply her story became tied to specific places and myths in Japanese culture.

Look closer

  • What details in the painting suggest a calm, inspired setting for writing?
  • Why might later artists want to connect a famous writer to a particular place?
  • How does this image differ from what we might expect a real writing scene to look like?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Murasaki Shikibu on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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