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Scenes in and Around Kyoto

Explore in minute detail a pair of Japanese screens that depict the historic city.

What would it be like to walk the streets of 17th Century Kyoto? Cathy FitzGerald explores a sumptuous pair of Japanese screens that depict the historic city in incredible detail. Follow the link to zoom in and examine the artwork as you listen.

Temples, shrines, castles, shops and homes: the image is crammed with tiny scenes. A man in a barber's shop examines his new hair cut in a mirror. People peer down into the street to watch a parade pass. Weary pilgrims sit on a verandah, sharing fruit. Men and women of every age and every social class appear: more than 1,800 in all.

Cathy FitzGerald hears how these glittering screens were made - and what they tell us about everyday life in the 17th Century Japanese city.

Available now

27 minutes

Moving Images from 大象传媒 World Service

Cathy FitzGerald invites us to discover new details in three old masterpieces, using our phone, tablet or computer.
Moving Pictures is a series offering listeners the chance to take a long, slow look at great artworks, photographed in incredible detail. The images draw on technology developed for the Google Arts & Culture website which features content from over 1,000 leading museums and archives which have partnered with Google to bring the world's treasures online.

Broadcasts

  • Wed 19 Oct 2016 02:32GMT
  • Wed 19 Oct 2016 04:32GMT
  • Wed 19 Oct 2016 05:32GMT
  • Wed 19 Oct 2016 06:32GMT
  • Wed 19 Oct 2016 12:32GMT
  • Mon 24 Oct 2016 06:32GMT

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