Object Details
Artist
Otagaki Rengetsu
Date
ca. 1868
Medium
Tanzaku poetry sheet: ink on gold-flecked paper
Dimensions
14 3/16 × 2 3/8 inches (36 × 6 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired through the generosity of Ellen Avril, in honor of Stephen Addiss
Object
Number
2007.016
Enjoying an Autumn EveningIn the fields, in the mountainsI was enthralled, so enthralled;On the way (…)
Enjoying an Autumn EveningIn the fields, in the mountainsI was enthralled, so enthralled;On the way back home,The autumn moon accompanied meRight to my room.Personal loss marked the early life of Otagaki Rengetsu, who was widowed twice by the age of thirty-three and did not see any of her children survive to adulthood. She became a Buddhist nun and took the name Rengetsu, meaning “Lotus Moon.” Rengetsu achieved fame as a master of waka poetry and calligraphy, and supported herself through her art, which also included pottery and painting. Anthologies of her poetry were published during her lifetime and she became so sought after that she moved many times to escape incessant demand for her time and work. (“Moon,” curated by Ellen Avril and presented at the Johnson Museum August 25, 2018-January 13, 2019)
