| Heiji Monogatari Emaki | |
| Other Language 1: | ja |
| Other Title 1: | 平治物語絵巻 |
| Wikidata: | Q3443335 |
| Artist: | Unknown |
| Completion Date: | Second half of the 13th century |
| Subject: | rebellion |
| Designation: | National Treasure |
The is an or (painted narrative handscroll) from the second half of the 13th century, in the period of Japanese history (1185–1333). An illuminated manuscript, it narrates the events of the rebellion (1159–1160) between the and clans, one of several precursors to the broader War (1180–1185) between the same belligerents.
Both the author and the sponsor of the work remain unknown, and its production probably spanned several decades. Nowadays, only three original scrolls and a few fragments of a fourth remain; they are held by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Art Museum, Tokyo, and the Tokyo National Museum. The civil wars for the domination of Japan at the end of the period, which ended with the victory of the Minamoto clan in the War, had a strong effect on the course of history in Japan. They have also been illustrated in many artworks, including the, which has inspired many artists up until modern times.
The paintings in the work, in the style, are distinguished by both the dynamism of lines and movement and the vivid colours, as well as a realistic impetus characteristic of the arts of the Kamakura period. Cruelty, massacres and barbarities are also reproduced without any attenuation. The result is a "new style particularly suited to the vitality and confidence of the Kamakura period". In several scrolls, long painted sequences introduced by short calligraphy passages are carefully composed in such a way as to create the tragic and the epic, such as the passage of the fire at Palace, deeply studied by art historians.
See main article: Emakimono and Yamato-e. Originating in Japan in the sixth or seventh century through trade with the Chinese Empire, art spread widely among the aristocracy in the Heian period. An consists of one or more long rolls of paper narrating a story through texts and paintings. The reader discovers the story by progressively unrolling the scroll with one hand while rewinding it with the other hand, from right to left (according to the then horizontal writing direction of Japanese script), so that only a portion of text or image of about is visible.[1]
The narrative of an assumes a series of scenes, the rhythm, composition and transitions of which are entirely the artist's sensitivity and technique. The themes of the stories were very varied: illustrations of novels, historical chronicles, religious texts, biographies of famous people, humorous or fantastic anecdotes, etc.[1]
The period, the advent of which followed a period of political turmoil and civil wars, was marked by the coming to power of the warrior class (the). Artistic production was very strong, and more varied themes and techniques than before were explored, signalling the "golden age" of (the 12th and 13th centuries). Under the impetus of the new warrior class in power, evolved towards a more realistic and composite pictorial style. Paintings of military and historical chronicles were particularly appreciated by the new ruling warrior class; ancient documents identify many on these subjects, including the (no longer extant), which recounted the rebellion, the on the Mongol invasions, and of course the the subject of the present article. According to, the epic battles transcribed in those must have strongly marked the minds of the Japanese, because the artists had made the battle theme enduring.
The work describes the rebellion (1159–1160), one of the episodes of the historical transition period that saw Japan enter the period and the Middle Ages: the Imperial Court lost all political power in favour of the feudal lords led by the . During this transition, the authority of the emperors and the regents weakened due to corruption, the growing independence of local chiefs (s), starvation and even superstition, so that the two main clans of the time vied for control of the state: the clan and the clan.
Relations between the two clans deteriorated and political plots were asserted, so much so that in early 1160, the clan attempted a coup by besieging Palace in Kyoto to kidnap Retired Emperor and his son Emperor . It was the start of the rebellion. The, led by, hastily gathered its strength to retaliate; it took the advantage and decimated the rival clan, except for the young children. Ironically, among these children spared was who, a generation later in the War (1180–1185), would avenge his father and take control of all of Japan, establishing the political domination of the warriors in the new period, from which the dates.[2]
The rebellion, famous in Japan, has been the subject of many literary adaptations, in particular from which the is directly inspired. The rivalries of clans, wars, personal ambitions and political intrigue amid social change and radical policies have made the rebellion an epic subject par excellence. Indeed, this type of bloody, rhythmic storytelling is particularly suitable for .
Today, only three scrolls of the original remain, narrating the rebellion passages corresponding to the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, thirteenth and the beginning of the fourteenth chapters in The Tale of . According to Dietrich Seckel, the original version probably had between ten and fifteen chapters, covering the thirty-six chapters of The Tale. Period fragments of a fourth scroll also exist, as well as later copies of a fifth.
The first scroll, measuring by, is at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; two sections of texts framing a long painting are taken from the third chapter of The Tale and relate the burning of Palace by (an ally of the clan) and . The whole scene, cruel and pathetic, is built around the fire, bloody fighting around the palace, and the pursuit and arrest of Retired Emperor . Nobles of the court, including women, were for the most part savagely killed by guns, fire or horses.
The second scroll, by, is at the Art Museum in Tokyo; it includes three short texts from chapters four, five and six of The Tale. The scroll opens with a war council about, an enemy who fled the palace. Alas, the latter commits suicide in the mountains around Kyoto and his body is found by 's men, who behead him to bring back his head as a trophy. Clan leaders then visit 's home to verify 's death and return to Kyoto showing off his head.
The third scroll, by, is kept at the Tokyo National Museum. Composed of four paintings and four portions of texts taken from chapter thirteen of The Tale, it depicts another famous moment of the Heiji rebellion: the escape of the young Emperor, disguised as a woman, followed by that of (wife of the late Emperor ). Under the cover of night and with the help of his followers, his escort managed to escape the guards and to join in (his men however failed to bring back the, or sacred mirror). The final scenes offer a view of the stronghold and the splendour of their army as is stunned when he discovers the escape.
The fourteen fragments of the fourth scroll, scattered in various collections, are about the Battle of : attacks the stronghold of the, but he is defeated and must flee to the east of the country.[3] Although the composition of this scroll is very similar to that of the other scrolls, it cannot be said with certainty that all of the fragments belong to the original work, as there are slight stylistic variations.
Several copies of the original four scrolls remain, as well as copies of a fifth, which is entirely lost: the battle of the Gate, without text, narrating the 's assault on the Imperial Palace where the warriors had entrenched themselves.
The first scroll, now in Boston, depicting the burning of the Palace, is regularly described as one of the masterpieces of Japanese art and of military painting of the world in general. The second, or, scroll is listed in the Register of Important Cultural Property,[4] and the third scroll, relating Emperor 's flight, is included in the Register of National Treasures of Japan.
Very little information is available about the realisation of the original scrolls, and the events explaining their condition and partial destruction. The artist(s) remain unknown; the work was previously attributed to the supposed 14th century painter, but that attribution has been deprecated since the second half of the 20th century, as the very existence of that painter is doubtful.
The sponsor is no better known, but was probably a relative of the clan, ruler of Japan at the time the was made, as suggested by the brilliant representation of the warriors.
According to estimates and stylistic comparisons, the creation of the work dates from the middle and second half of the 13th century, probably between the 1250s and the 1280s. The pictorial proximity between all the scrolls shows that they probably come from the same workshop painters, but slight variations tend to confirm that the preparation took place over several decades during the second half of the 13th century, without the reason for such a long period of creation being known.
Fragments of the fourth or Battle of scroll, a little more recent and slightly different in style, may belong either to the original work or to an old copy from the Kamakura period according to art historians, but again the true position is uncertain.[5]
The pictorial style of the is, a Japanese painting movement (as opposed to Chinese styles) that peaked during the and periods. Artists of the style, a colourful and decorative everyday form of art, expressed in all their subjects the sensitivity and character of the people of the Japanese archipelago.[6]
The work belongs mainly to the ("painting of men") genre of, typical of epic tales or religious legends, by emphasising the freedom of ink lines and the use of light colours leaving portions of paper bare. The dynamism of the lines is particularly evident in the crowds of people and soldiers. However, and as in the, it is combined with the (or "painting of women") court style of, especially in the choice of more vivid colours for certain details such as clothing, armour and flames. The scene of the fire is also reminiscent of that of the gate in the, due to its similar composition. The colour in the work is applied mainly using the technique characteristic of : a first sketch of the outlines is made, then the colour is added in solid form, and finally the outlines are redrawn in ink over the paint. This mixture of and, tangible in other works such as the, is typical of the style from the beginning of the period, with rich colours using bright pigments alongside more pastel shades, while the lines remain dynamic and expressive, but less free than in older paintings. The military in power at the time particularly appreciated colourful and dynamic historical and military chronicles.[7]
A new desire for realism, notable in several aspects of the, also marked the art of portrayal of warriors: in this work, the combat scenes are expressed in a raw and brutal way, showing the suffering and death in the glowing flames and blood. In particular, the painting of the attack on the Palace depicts soldiers slaughtering aristocrats and displaying their heads on top of lances. underlines the realism in the representation of the characters: "The painter approaches the faces, the attitudes of the characters as well as the movements of the horses with a surprising sense of realism, proving his ability to incorporate the techniques of in complex scenes" (was a realistic style of portraiture in vogue at the time). The realistic tendency is also found in most of the alternative versions of the work. On the other hand, the sets are most often minimalist to keep the reader's attention on the action and the suspense, without distraction.
The is also distinguished by two types of classical arts composition techniques. On the one hand, continuous compositions make it possible to represent several scenes or events in the same painting, without a precise border, in order to favour a fluid pictorial narration; this is the case with the first or Palace fire scroll and the fourth or Battle of scroll. On the other hand, the alternating compositions bring together calligraphy and illustrations, the paintings then aiming to capture particular moments of the story; this is the case with the other scrolls as well as the copies of the now lost Battle of Gate scroll. The painter thus manages to vary with accuracy the rhythm of the narration throughout the, for example making passages of strong tensions succeed more peaceful scenes, such as the arrival of Emperor among the after his perilous flight.
The long painted sequences with continuous compositions, sometimes interspersed with short calligraphy, make possible the intensification of the painting to its dramatic climax, in the remarkable scene of the fire at the Palace: the reader first discovers the flight of the Emperor's troops, then more and more violent fighting leading up to the confusion around the fire – the summit of the composition where the density of the characters only fades in front of the ample volutes of smoke – and then finally the scene calms down with the encirclement of the Emperor's chariot and a soldier who moves away peacefully towards the left. The transition to the scene of the fire is effected by means of a wall of the Palace, which divides the by long diagonals over almost its entire height, creating an effect of suspense and different narrative spaces with great fluidity. For art historians, the mastery of composition and rhythm, evident in continuous paintings, as well as the care given to colours and lines, make this scroll one of the most admirable to have survived from the period.
The also displays some innovations of composition for the groups of characters, by arranging them in triangles or rhombuses. This approach makes it possible to take advantage of the reduced height of the scrolls to represent battles by interweaving geometric shapes according to the needs of the artist.
The provides a glimpse into the unfolding of historical events of the Heiji rebellion, and, more importantly, significant testimony as to the life and culture of the . The first or Palace fire scroll shows a wide range of this military class: clan chiefs, horse archers, infantry, monk-soldiers, imperial police ... The weapons and armour depicted in the are also very realistic, and as a whole the work testifies to the still predominant role of the mounted archer, and not the infantryman, for the of the 12th century.[8] The beauty of the luxurious harnesses of the period is also underlined by the work; the contrast between the harnesses and the cruel and vulgar squadron is interesting, in particular because the texts in the work deal very little with this subject.[9] Additionally, some aspects of period military uniforms can only be understood today through the paintings.[10] On the other hand, the texts provide little historiographical information because of their brevity and, sometimes, their inadequate or inaccurate descriptions of the paintings.[11]
The depiction of Palace shortly before its destruction provides an important example of the ancient architectural style that developed in the period away from the Chinese influences in vogue during the period. The long corridors of the Palace lined with panels, windows or blinds, the raised wooden verandas and the roofs covered with thin layers of are characteristic of the style.[12]
The has also been a source of inspiration for various artists, first and foremost those who took up the theme of the rebellion on a screen or fan, including [13] and . In paintings of a major military subject in Japan, many depictions of battle are unsurprisingly inspired by the work. So, for example, the of the period depicts very similar arrangements of groups of warriors and postures of the characters.[14] Additionally, studies indicate that the painter was inspired, among other things, by the in creating the paintings of the Battle of in his (17th century) (according to Karen Gerhart, the goal was symbolically to associate the Tokugawa shogunate with the clan, the first shoguns of Japan).[15] Similar comments apply to in relation to the . Indeed, the fourth or Battle of scroll was the most imitated and popular in Japanese painting, so much so that in the period it became a classic motif of battle paintings.
Finally, drew some inspiration from the work for his film Gate of Hell .[16]
The whole of the original was kept for a long time at the on Mount , overlooking Kyoto, together with the, no longer extant, of The Tale of .[17] During the 15th and the 16th centuries, the original scrolls were separated, but their history at that time is lost to modern times. In the 19th century, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, won the first or Palace fire scroll through . The third or Flight to Scroll was acquired by the Tokyo National Museum from the clan in around 1926. Finally, the second or scroll was acquired by the wealthy family, whose collection is preserved by the Foundation (now the Art Museum).
fr:Danielle Elisseeff
. Histoire du Japon: entre Chine et Pacifique . History of Japan: Between China and the Pacific . . Monaco . 2001 . 978-2-268-04096-7 .fr:Terukazu Akiyama
. 平治物語絵六波羅合戦巻にっいて. About the Battle of Rokuhara scroll of the Heiji Monogatari Emaki. Yamato Bunka. September 1952. 1–11.