Usugumo　薄雲

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

A pictorial subject taken from "A Rack of Clouds" Usugumo, Chapter 19 of GENJI MONOGATARI 源氏物語 (The Tale of Genji). In this chapter, Genji brings his daughter, whom he sired from the Akashi Lady (see *Akashi 明石 and *Matsukaze 松風), to be Murasaki's adopted daughter (see *Wakamurasaki 若紫). The following year the father of Genji's first wife, *Aoi 葵, dies, as does Fujitsubo 藤壷, the former consort to Genji's father, the Emperor *Kiritsubo 桐壷. Fujitsubo, through a secret affair with Genji, had given birth to a son who will become the Emperor Reizei 冷泉. Reizei himself learns the facts of his birth only after his mother's death. Scenes chosen for illustration include the little girl clinging to Genji's trousers as he is about to set off to visit the Akashi Lady; Genji playing the koto 琴; and Genji talking to Akikonomu 秋好 (see *Otome 乙女) who sits behind blinds, on a rainy autumn night.

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*genji-e 源氏絵.

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