-A narrative work that is read from right to left as the scroll is unrolled -Point of view: one looks down from above onto the scene, which takes place in Kyoto -Strong diagonals emphasize movement and action -Swift, active brush strokes -Depersonalized figures; many with only one stroke for the eyes, ears, and mouth -Tangled mass of forms accentuated by Japanese armor -Final scene: lone archer leads the escape from the burning palace with the Japanese commander behind him.
--Military rule in Japan from 1185 on had an interest in the code of the warrior; reflected in the large quantity of war-related literature and paintings -Scroll depicts a coup staged in 1159 as Emperor Go-Shirakawa is taken prisoner. -Burning of the imperial palace at Sanjo in Kyoto as rebel forces try to seize power by captivity -Rebels kill those opposed and place their heads on sticks and parade them as trophies -Painted a hundred years after the civil war depicted in the scene -Unrolls like a film sequence; as one unrolls, time advances
-Handscroll, meant to be read and studied, not meant to be placed on permanent display.
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