Tsukioka Yoshitoshi - Murasaki Shikibu at Ishiyamadera Temple, based on the print The Moon at Ishiyama, from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyakushi- Ishiyama no tsuki) ca. 1892

 

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi - Murasaki Shikibu at Ishiyamadera Temple, based on the print The Moon at Ishiyama, from the series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki hyakushi- Ishiyama no tsuki) ca. 1892  

To create the compendium of one hundred images of famous moonlit scenes that inspired his print series, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi combed literature and legend for inspiration. The scene of Murasaki at her desk, about to begin writing her monumental tale, was an obvious choice, having been depicted by artists of every school. His painted rendition of the setting, however, diverges from the usual one. Rather than show a view of Lake Biwa, he depicted the outcrops of wollastonite stone surrounding Ishiyamadera (Stony Mountain Temple). From the main hall of the temple, there actually is no direct vista of the lake or vantage point with such craggy features, but the references are clear.