Genji: The Prince and the Parodies

Lady Murasaki’s ’Tale of Genji’ has delighted readers for more than 1,000 years and inspired writers to create numerous parodies. Artists have responded with a rich parallel tradition illustrating the courtly intrigues, love affairs and shifting alliances of the epic novel, as well as its retellings. This lavishly illustrated volume explores interpretations by master printmakers such as Kunisada, as well as Hiroshige, Suzuki Harunobu and Chobunsai Eishi, bringing the characters to life in dramatic woodblock prints from the peerless collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. With insightful commentary from a leading Japanese print scholar, this book invites readers to explore the colorful world of ’The Tale of Genji’ and its visual afterlife.