Focus on Nezame Monogatari Emaki and explore the Style and composition.
The paintings in the emakimono fit within the onna-e genre of the Yamato-e style fashionable from the 12th century to the end of the Heian period. Onna-e paintings are generally very stylized, elegant and refined, with rich, opaque colour used to represent the peaceful, romantic and often nostalgic atmosphere of the lives of the ladies at the Imperial Court.The pictorial style is close to that of the Genji Monogatari Emaki (c. 1120-1140), the most famous work of the onna-e genre. In particular, both paintings are effectuated according to the tsukuri-e (constructed painting) method. A first sketch of the scene is made in India ink, then the colour is applied in a precise order, from the large areas in the background to the final details, following the instructions of the master sometimes annotated directly on the paper. Finally, the outlines are drawn again or enhanced in ink to accentuate the depth.The so-called fukinuki yatai technique, involving the removal of building roofs, was used to depict both the interior of a building and its exterior, be it a garden or a veranda, in the same scene. The faces are realised according to the hikime kagibana technique typical of onna-e, that is to say that the faces are represented in abstract ways, with three lines (for the eyes and the nose) on a white background.The Nezame Monogatari Emaki appears to be more decorative than the Genji Monogatari Emaki, incorporating, e.g., silver and gold powder in the painting, and softer colours. Angles are also more abrupt in composition. The representation of nature is remarkable in these paintings: very elaborate, it subtly emphasises the feelings of the characters as well as a certain melancholy, ultimately taking precedence over the characters. As is often the case in Japanese painting, the season is clearly portrayed; here, spring is represented by cherry blossoms and wisteria.
Monogatari emakimono onna-e Heian period ink hikime kagibana Yamato-e Genji Monogatari Emaki Onna-e gold silver fukinuki yatai