The Way to the Jingoji Portraits: A Perspective from the Study of Japanese Medieval Portrait Paintings

Professor Michio Yonekura
Distinguished Atsumi Visiting Professor
December 1, 2016; 6–7PM

612 Schermerhorn Hall

A major focus of Professor Yonekura's research has been the portrait painting in the temple Jingoji thought to be of Minamoto Yoritomo. The process of investigating this iconic work has led him to rethink the significance of studying the historical context of Japanese portrait paintings. What he learned was the mundane fact that portraits are products of society that adhere to the visual conventions and customs of their historical context. Yonekura will explain how clues about the the identity of the sitter and dating of the portrait may be discovered within the cultural milieu of medieval Japanese society.