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the Kinsei kijin den (Legends of Eccentrics in Recent Times, 1790). The image illustrating
their entry depicts the couple in simple clothes playing music together amongst a jumble of
paintings, calligraphy, and brushes. Taiga, unshaven and grinning, strums a lute. Gyokuran
plays the koto. (See Fister, p. 74 for reproduction.) They cared little for money, living a simple
life with earnings from their calligraphy and painting.
Discussion/Activities
1) Explore the role of women in Edo society.
Ike Gyokuran and Otagaki Rengetsu (slide #15) were unconventional women in a
highly structured society. You may like to introduce and discuss Student Handout 2
Readings on Education as part of this discussion. They both associated with other
unconventional or eccentric people, which provided a nurturing environment for them
to develop as artists and poets. What are the expected roles for men and women in US
society? Do the roles change depending on generation, where people come from, the
region of the country they live in, or their religious beliefs? Think about eccentric people
you have known. What made them different? Was their eccentricity valued or not?
2) This painting by Gyokuran is drawn from her imagination. Have students imagine
walking through this painting, and write an essay of their experience. Where would you
go? Who would you meet? What smells are in the air, what sounds can you hear? Would
you stop for a picnic, go fishing, or take a boat ride? Would you climb one of the
mountains?
Sources:
Fister
Selected Works, p. 199.
Kakudo, p. 134
Asian Art Museum Education Department