Cleveland Museum of Art

Autumn in Takao

Kiyohara Yukinobu

Date

late 1600s

Medium

hanging scroll; ink and color on silk

Culture

Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

Department

Japanese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Kiyohara Yukinobu, a native of Kyoto, studied with Kano Tan'yū (1602–1674), the artist-in-residence to the shogun (military ruler) whose official residence was in Edo (Tokyo). Tan'yū traveled extensively because he bore responsibility for the decorative schema and large mural painting programs of the shogunal castles and residences in Nagoya and Kyoto. These were very large projects, requiring the services of legions of craftsmen, including Tan'yū's painting studio. Following her apprenticeship with Tan'yū, Kiyohara established her own career, which featured classical literary themes of the Heian era (10th–12th centuries). This image is set in autumn, and the poem card attached to the maple tree likely signifies the passage of a love affair. Takao is a popular scenic area in the mountains north of Kyoto, where autumn and spring foliage attracts many visitors. Kiyohara Yukinobu was one of Japan's earliest and most talented female painters.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.