Yūgiri

Print number 39 from “The Tale of Genji” by Murasaki Shikibu
Yūgiri was the name by which we know Prince Genji's first son in the novel The Tale of Genji. This name, which literally means “dense fog,” is given to him because he is the protagonist of chapter 39, which bears that title. Yūgiri, seemingly a serious and proper young man, tries to postpone his return to the capital under the pretext of a persistent autumn fog, although his only purpose is to win the heart of a beautiful young widow with whom he has fallen in love. In the print, Kunisada II shows us the elegant figure of a gallant in a boat. He wears a coat decorated with flowers and a checkered pattern in violet, “murasaki” in Japanese, like the author's name, which appears in the series title. The scene is set on a full moon autumn night. A flock of geese in formation crosses the sky. In the background, a group of boats crossing the lake seem to mimic the formation of birds.
David Almazán. Exhibition "Prints of Prince Genji", Red Itiner 2023