Thirty-Six Poetic Immortalsmid 1700s · Study 1960.183

Context from the museum

Fujiwara no Kintō (996–1075), a Japanese courtier, scholar, and poet, compiled select examples by the most celebrated composers of 31-syllable poems ( waka ) from the 600s to the 1000s. Painters soon made these “thirty-six poetic immortals” a favorite subject, traditionally presenting the poets in sequential, idealized portraits paired with their poems. In this interpretation, a chronologically impossible gathering of these great talents is in progress. The screen’s composition follows one devised by design virtuoso Ogata Kōrin (1658–1716).

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

The green surface edged with stripes at the upper left of the painting represents tatami matting with a silk border.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals is 182.8 cm wide and 170 cm high, equivalent to approximately 72.0 × 66.9 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.08:1. The rectangular bounding area is 3.11 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 60.9% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 58.6 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, two-fold screen; ink, color, and gold on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 182.8 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?