Who painted Sugawara Michizane Traveling to Dazaifu?

Sugawara Michizane Traveling to Dazaifu was painted by Unknown in 1616.

Where can I see Sugawara Michizane Traveling to Dazaifu?

Sugawara Michizane Traveling to Dazaifu is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Artwork

Sugawara Michizane Traveling to Dazaifu

Sugawara Michizane Traveling to Dazaifu is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It dates from 1616 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

The work titled *Sugawara Michizane Traveling to Dazaifu* is a painted composition that portrays a procession moving through a landscape. Central to the scene is a cart bearing a figure, flanked by riders on horses and pedestrians on foot. Distant hills, trees, and a few structures frame the movement, while clouds drift overhead, creating a sense of travel across a natural setting.

Subject & Meaning

The painting references the historical journey of Sugawara Michizane, a renowned scholar and poet of the Heian period, as he was exiled to Dazaifu in Kyushu. By depicting his departure amid a communal escort, the image underscores themes of exile, duty, and the social rituals surrounding a dignitary’s relocation, reflecting the cultural significance of his forced migration.

Technique & Style

A palette of greens, browns, and beiges dominates the terrain, while selective applications of gold leaf accentuate certain elements, adding subtle luminosity.

Executed in a traditional Japanese aesthetic, the piece employs bold outlines and a flattened perspective characteristic of yamato-e painting. A palette of greens, browns, and beiges dominates the terrain, while selective applications of gold leaf accentuate certain elements, adding subtle luminosity. The composition balances linear clarity with decorative surface treatment, typical of courtly visual narratives.

History & Provenance

The painting’s origins lie in the Edo period, when historical and literary subjects were popular among aristocratic patrons. Though specific ownership records are scarce, the work has been catalogued in several Japanese museum collections, indicating its recognition as a representative example of narrative painting that commemorates a pivotal episode from classical Japanese history.