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'Heron on a Willow Branch'. Two-panel folding screen painting by Maruyama Okyo (1733-1795), 1775.<br/><br/> Maruyama Okyo (June 12, 1733 - August 31, 1795), born Maruyama Masataka, was a Japanese artist active during the Edo period. He founded the Maruyama school of painting, which mixed Western naturalism with Eastern decorative design.
Ataulf (also Athavulf, Atawulf, or Athaulf, Latinized as Ataulphus, c. 370 – 15 August 415) was king of the Visigoths from 411 to 415. During his reign, he transformed the Visigothic state from a tribal kingdom to a major political power of Late Antiquity.
In Taoism, a <i>xian</i> is used to describe an enlightened person, almost always immortals. They have, through self-reflection and devotion, reached a state in Taoism where they have attained spiritual and physical immortality, usually also involving methods such as alchemy, breath meditation, <i>qigong</i> and <i>tai chi</i>.<br/><br/><i>Xian</i> are often described as superhuman and with a variety of magical and supernatural abilities, such as immunity to heat and cold, flight, and superhuman speeds. Some can survive on just air and dew, or can use their magic to bring death or grant life.
James Madison, Jr. (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was a political theorist, American statesman, and the fourth President of the United States (1809–17).<br/><br/> He is hailed as the 'Father of the Constitution' for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Isoda Koryūsai (礒田湖龍斎 1735-1790) was a Japanese printmaker and painter active from approximately 1764 to 1788.<br/><br/> The details of his life are under some dispute. He apparently came from a samurai background. One theory stated he became a rōnin and was forced to turn to art, but another says he voluntarily gave up the life of a samurai for art. In 1781 he received the title Hokkyo for his talent and accomplishments. That he was so honored is one of the rare statements that is generally agreed to. There are those who believe he was a pupil of Harunobu, but this is disputed. Although some of his prints survived few of his paintings did.<br/><br/> That said it is known that he was a prolific artist. His subjects ranged from Confucian virtues, to birds, to herblore, and also included hundreds of erotica prints.
Toucans are native to Southern Mexico, Central America, the northern part of South America, and the Caribbean region. They generally live in tropical and sub-tropical regions.<br/><br/> Toucans are arboreal and typically lay 2–21 white eggs in their nests. They make their nests in tree hollows and holes excavated by other animals such as woodpeckers—the toucan bill has very limited use as an excavation tool. When the eggs hatch, the young emerge completely naked, without any down. Toucans are resident breeders and do not migrate.
Timbuktu Manuscripts is an umbrella term for what were a large number of manuscripts (estimates range in the hundreds of thousands) which had been preserved by private households in Timbuktu (and some other locations), Mali. A large portion of the manuscripts had to do with art, medicine, science, and calligraphy of the late Abbasid Caliphate, and even multiple priceless old copies of the Quran.<br/><br/> The majority of manuscripts were written in Arabic, but some were also in local languages, including Songhay and Tamasheq. The dates of the manuscripts ranged between the late 13th and the early 20th centuries (i.e., from the Islamisation of the Mali Empire until the decline of traditional education in French Sudan). Their subject matter ranged from scholarly works to short letters.<br/><br/> The manuscripts were passed down in Timbuktu families and were mostly in poor condition. Most of the manuscripts remain unstudied and uncatalogued, and their total number is unknown, amenable only to rough estimates. A selection of about 160 manuscripts from the Mamma Haidara Library in Timbuktu and the Ahmed Baba collection were digitized by the Tombouctou Manuscripts Project in the 2000s.
Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519), the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans (also known as King of the Germans) from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky.<br/><br/> He had ruled jointly with his father for the last ten years of his father's reign, from c. 1483. He expanded the influence of the House of Habsburg through war and his marriage in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy, the heiress to the Duchy of Burgundy, but he also lost the Austrian territories in today's Switzerland to the Swiss Confederacy.
François-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778), known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and separation of church and state.<br/><br/> Voltaire was a versatile writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was an outspoken advocate, despite the risk this placed him in under the strict censorship laws of the time. As a satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma, and the French institutions of his day.
Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as Carl von Linné, was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern biological naming scheme of binomial nomenclature.<br/><br/> He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology.
Empress Jitō (持統天皇 Jitō-tennō, 645 – 13 January 703) was the 41st monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Jitō's reign spanned the years from 686 through 697.<br/><br/> In the history of Japan, Jitō was the third of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The two female monarchs before Jitō were (1) Suiko and (2) Kōgyoku/Saimei. The five women sovereigns reigning after Jitō were (3) Gemmei, (4) Genshō, (5) Kōken/Shōtoku, (6) Meishō, and (7) Go-Sakuramachi.<br/><br/> Jitō took responsibility for court administration after the death of her husband, Emperor Temmu, who was also her uncle. She acceded to the throne in 687 in order to ensure the eventual succession of her son, Kusakabe-shinnō. Throughout this period, Empress Jitō ruled from the Fujiwara Palace in Yamato.<br/><br/> Prince Kusabake was named as crown prince to succeed Jitō, but he died at a young age. Kusabake's son, Karu-no-o, was then named as Jitō's successor. He eventually would become known as Emperor Mommu.<br/><br/> In 697, Jitō abdicated in Mommu's favor; and as a retired sovereign, she took the post-reign title daijō-tennō. After this, her imperial successors who retired took the same title after abdication. The actual site of Jitō's grave is known. This empress is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) at Nara. The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Jitō's mausoleum. It is formally named Ochi-no-Okanoe no misasagi.
Emperor Tenji (天智天皇 Tenji-tennō, 626 – January 7, 672), also known as Emperor Tenchi, was the 38th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.<br/><br/> As prince, Naka no Ōe played a crucial role in ending the near-total control the Soga clan had over the imperial family. In 644, seeing the Soga continue to gain power, he conspired with Nakatomi no Kamatari and Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro to assassinate Soga no Iruka in what has come to be known as the Isshi Incident. Although the assassination did not go exactly as planned, Iruka was killed, and his father and predecessor, Soga no Emishi, committed suicide soon after.<br/><br/> Following the Isshi Incident, Iruka's adherents dispersed largely without a fight, and Naka no Ōe was named heir apparent. He also married the daughter of his ally Soga no Kurayamada, thus ensuring that a significant portion of the Soga clan's power was on his side.
Empress Jitō (持統天皇 Jitō-tennō, 645 – 13 January 703) was the 41st monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Jitō's reign spanned the years from 686 through 697.<br/><br/> In the history of Japan, Jitō was the third of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The two female monarchs before Jitō were (1) Suiko and (2) Kōgyoku/Saimei. The five women sovereigns reigning after Jitō were (3) Gemmei, (4) Genshō, (5) Kōken/Shōtoku, (6) Meishō, and (7) Go-Sakuramachi.<br/><br/> Jitō took responsibility for court administration after the death of her husband, Emperor Temmu, who was also her uncle. She acceded to the throne in 687 in order to ensure the eventual succession of her son, Kusakabe-shinnō. Throughout this period, Empress Jitō ruled from the Fujiwara Palace in Yamato.<br/><br/> Prince Kusabake was named as crown prince to succeed Jitō, but he died at a young age. Kusabake's son, Karu-no-o, was then named as Jitō's successor. He eventually would become known as Emperor Mommu.<br/><br/> In 697, Jitō abdicated in Mommu's favor; and as a retired sovereign, she took the post-reign title daijō-tennō. After this, her imperial successors who retired took the same title after abdication. The actual site of Jitō's grave is known. This empress is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) at Nara. The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Jitō's mausoleum. It is formally named Ochi-no-Okanoe no misasagi.
Emperor Tenji (天智天皇 Tenji-tennō, 626 – January 7, 672), also known as Emperor Tenchi, was the 38th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.<br/><br/> As prince, Naka no Ōe played a crucial role in ending the near-total control the Soga clan had over the imperial family. In 644, seeing the Soga continue to gain power, he conspired with Nakatomi no Kamatari and Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro to assassinate Soga no Iruka in what has come to be known as the Isshi Incident. Although the assassination did not go exactly as planned, Iruka was killed, and his father and predecessor, Soga no Emishi, committed suicide soon after.<br/><br/> Following the Isshi Incident, Iruka's adherents dispersed largely without a fight, and Naka no Ōe was named heir apparent. He also married the daughter of his ally Soga no Kurayamada, thus ensuring that a significant portion of the Soga clan's power was on his side.
Mirza Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar (Urdu: ابو ظفر سِراجُ الْدین محمد بُہادر شاہ ظفر‎), better known as Bahadur Shah Zafar (Urdu: بہادر شاہ دوم‎), on 24 October 1775 – died 7 November 1862), was the last Mughal emperor and a member of the Timurid Dynasty.<br/><br/> Zafar was the son of Mirza Akbar Shah II and Lalbai, who was a Hindu Rajput, and became Mughal Emperor when his father died on 28 September 1837. He used Zafar, a part of his name, meaning 'victory', for his nom de plume as an Urdu poet, and he wrote many Urdu ghazals under it.<br/><br/> After his involvement in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the British tried and then exiled him from Delhi and sent him to Rangoon (now Yangon) in British-controlled Burma (Myanmar).
Samurai is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. By the end of the 12th century, samurai became almost entirely synonymous with bushi, and the word was closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class.<br/><br/> The samurai followed a set of rules that came to be known as Bushidō. While they numbered less than ten percent of Japan's population, samurai teachings can still be found today in both everyday life and in martial arts such as Kendō, meaning the way of the sword.
Mirza Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar (Urdu: ابو ظفر سِراجُ الْدین محمد بُہادر شاہ ظفر‎), better known as Bahadur Shah Zafar (Urdu: بہادر شاہ دوم‎), on 24 October 1775 – died 7 November 1862), was the last Mughal emperor and a member of the Timurid Dynasty.<br/><br/> Zafar was the son of Mirza Akbar Shah II and Lalbai, who was a Hindu Rajput, and became Mughal Emperor when his father died on 28 September 1837. He used Zafar, a part of his name, meaning 'victory', for his nom de plume as an Urdu poet, and he wrote many Urdu ghazals under it.<br/><br/> After his involvement in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the British tried and then exiled him from Delhi and sent him to Rangoon (now Yangon) in British-controlled Burma (Myanmar).
Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774 by an agreement with Chao Kavila, after the Thai King Taksin helped drive out the Burmese. Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading and economic importance to its current status as the unofficial capital of northern Thailand, second in importance only to Bangkok.
The monastery of Lindisfarne was founded by Irish monk Saint Aidan, who had been sent from Iona off the west coast of Scotland to Northumbria at the request of King Oswald c.635 CE. It became the base for Christian evangelising in the North of England and also sent a successful mission to Mercia. Monks from the community of Iona settled on the island. Northumberland's patron saint, Saint Cuthbert, was a monk and later Abbot of the monastery, and his miracles and life are recorded by the Venerable Bede. Cuthbert later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. He was buried here, his remains later translated to Durham Cathedral (along with the relics of Saint Eadfrith of Lindisfarne). Eadberht of Lindisfarne, the next bishop (and Saint) was buried in the place from which Cuthbert's body was exhumed earlier the same year when the priory was abandoned in the late ninth century.<br/><br/> At some point in the early 700s the famous illuminated manuscript known as the Lindisfarne Gospels, an illustrated Latin copy of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, was made probably at Lindisfarne and the artist was possibly Eadfrith, who later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. Sometime in the second half of the tenth century a monk named Aldred added an Anglo-Saxon (Old English) gloss to the Latin text, producing the earliest surviving Old English copies of the Gospels. The Gospels were illustrated in an insular style containing a fusion of Celtic, Germanic and Roman elements; they were probably originally covered with a fine metal case made by a hermit called Billfrith.
The monastery of Lindisfarne was founded by Irish monk Saint Aidan, who had been sent from Iona off the west coast of Scotland to Northumbria at the request of King Oswald c.635 CE. It became the base for Christian evangelising in the North of England and also sent a successful mission to Mercia. Monks from the community of Iona settled on the island. Northumberland's patron saint, Saint Cuthbert, was a monk and later Abbot of the monastery, and his miracles and life are recorded by the Venerable Bede. Cuthbert later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. He was buried here, his remains later translated to Durham Cathedral (along with the relics of Saint Eadfrith of Lindisfarne). Eadberht of Lindisfarne, the next bishop (and Saint) was buried in the place from which Cuthbert's body was exhumed earlier the same year when the priory was abandoned in the late ninth century.<br/><br/> At some point in the early 700s the famous illuminated manuscript known as the Lindisfarne Gospels, an illustrated Latin copy of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, was made probably at Lindisfarne and the artist was possibly Eadfrith, who later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. Sometime in the second half of the tenth century a monk named Aldred added an Anglo-Saxon (Old English) gloss to the Latin text, producing the earliest surviving Old English copies of the Gospels. The Gospels were illustrated in an insular style containing a fusion of Celtic, Germanic and Roman elements; they were probably originally covered with a fine metal case made by a hermit called Billfrith.
The monastery of Lindisfarne was founded by Irish monk Saint Aidan, who had been sent from Iona off the west coast of Scotland to Northumbria at the request of King Oswald c.635 CE. It became the base for Christian evangelising in the North of England and also sent a successful mission to Mercia. Monks from the community of Iona settled on the island. Northumberland's patron saint, Saint Cuthbert, was a monk and later Abbot of the monastery, and his miracles and life are recorded by the Venerable Bede. Cuthbert later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. He was buried here, his remains later translated to Durham Cathedral (along with the relics of Saint Eadfrith of Lindisfarne). Eadberht of Lindisfarne, the next bishop (and Saint) was buried in the place from which Cuthbert's body was exhumed earlier the same year when the priory was abandoned in the late ninth century.<br/><br/> At some point in the early 700s the famous illuminated manuscript known as the Lindisfarne Gospels, an illustrated Latin copy of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, was made probably at Lindisfarne and the artist was possibly Eadfrith, who later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. Sometime in the second half of the tenth century a monk named Aldred added an Anglo-Saxon (Old English) gloss to the Latin text, producing the earliest surviving Old English copies of the Gospels. The Gospels were illustrated in an insular style containing a fusion of Celtic, Germanic and Roman elements; they were probably originally covered with a fine metal case made by a hermit called Billfrith.
Laozi (Lao Tzu, c. 6th century BCE) was a mystic philosopher of ancient China. His association with the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of Taoism (also spelled 'Daoism'). He is also revered as a deity in most religious forms of the Taoist religion, which often refers to Laozi as Taishang Laojun, or 'One of the Three Pure Ones'. Laozi translated literally from Chinese means 'old master' or 'old one', and is generally considered honorific.
Isoda Koryūsai (礒田湖龍斎 1735-1790) was a Japanese printmaker and painter active from approximately 1764 to 1788.<br/><br/> The details of his life are under some dispute. He apparently came from a samurai background. One theory stated he became a rōnin and was forced to turn to art, but another says he voluntarily gave up the life of a samurai for art. In 1781 he received the title Hokkyo for his talent and accomplishments. That he was so honored is one of the rare statements that is generally agreed to. There are those who believe he was a pupil of Harunobu, but this is disputed. Although some of his prints survived few of his paintings did.<br/><br/> That said it is known that he was a prolific artist. His subjects ranged from Confucian virtues, to birds, to herblore, and also included hundreds of erotica prints.
Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774 by an agreement with Chao Kavila, after the Thai King Taksin helped drive out the Burmese. Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading and economic importance to its current status as the unofficial capital of northern Thailand, second in importance only to Bangkok.
Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon ( 7 September 1707 – 16 April 1788) was a French naturalist, mathematician, cosmologist, and encyclopedic author.<br/><br/> His works influenced the next two generations of naturalists, including Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Georges Cuvier. Buffon published thirty-six quarto volumes of his <i>Histoire naturelle</i> during his lifetime; with additional volumes based on his notes and further research being published in the two decades following his death.<br/><br/> Buffon held the position of <i>intendant</i> (director) at the Jardin du Roi, now called the Jardin des Plantes; it is the French equivalent of Kew Gardens.
William Hodges (28 October 1744 – 6 March 1797) was an English painter. He was a member of James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific Ocean, and is best known for the sketches and paintings of locations he visited on that voyage, including Table Bay, Tahiti, Easter Island, and the Antarctic. Hodges accompanied Cook to the Pacific as the expedition's artist in 1772-1775. Many of his sketches and wash paintings were adapted as engravings in the original published edition of Cook's journals from the voyage.
William Hodges (28 October 1744 – 6 March 1797) was an English painter. He was a member of James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific Ocean, and is best known for the sketches and paintings of locations he visited on that voyage, including Table Bay, Tahiti, Easter Island, and the Antarctic. Hodges accompanied Cook to the Pacific as the expedition's artist in 1772-1775. Many of his sketches and wash paintings were adapted as engravings in the original published edition of Cook's journals from the voyage.
William Hodges (28 October 1744 – 6 March 1797) was an English painter. He was a member of James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific Ocean, and is best known for the sketches and paintings of locations he visited on that voyage, including Table Bay, Tahiti, Easter Island, and the Antarctic. Hodges accompanied Cook to the Pacific as the expedition's artist in 1772-1775. Many of his sketches and wash paintings were adapted as engravings in the original published edition of Cook's journals from the voyage.
William Hodges (28 October 1744 – 6 March 1797) was an English painter. He was a member of James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific Ocean, and is best known for the sketches and paintings of locations he visited on that voyage, including Table Bay, Tahiti, Easter Island, and the Antarctic. Hodges accompanied Cook to the Pacific as the expedition's artist in 1772-1775. Many of his sketches and wash paintings were adapted as engravings in the original published edition of Cook's journals from the voyage.
William Hodges (28 October 1744 – 6 March 1797) was an English painter. He was a member of James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific Ocean, and is best known for the sketches and paintings of locations he visited on that voyage, including Table Bay, Tahiti, Easter Island, and the Antarctic. Hodges accompanied Cook to the Pacific as the expedition's artist in 1772-1775. Many of his sketches and wash paintings were adapted as engravings in the original published edition of Cook's journals from the voyage.
William Hodges (28 October 1744 – 6 March 1797) was an English painter. He was a member of James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific Ocean, and is best known for the sketches and paintings of locations he visited on that voyage, including Table Bay, Tahiti, Easter Island, and the Antarctic. Hodges accompanied Cook to the Pacific as the expedition's artist in 1772-1775. Many of his sketches and wash paintings were adapted as engravings in the original published edition of Cook's journals from the voyage.
Mirza Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar (Urdu: ابو ظفر سِراجُ الْدین محمد بُہادر شاہ ظفر‎), better known as Bahadur Shah Zafar (Urdu: بہادر شاہ دوم‎), on 24 October 1775 – died 7 November 1862), was the last Mughal emperor and a member of the Timurid Dynasty.<br/><br/> Zafar was the son of Mirza Akbar Shah II and Lalbai, who was a Hindu Rajput, and became Mughal Emperor when his father died on 28 September 1837. He used Zafar, a part of his name, meaning 'victory', for his nom de plume as an Urdu poet, and he wrote many Urdu ghazals under it.<br/><br/> After his involvement in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the British tried and then exiled him from Delhi and sent him to Rangoon (now YAngon) in British-controlled Burma (Myanmar).
This landscape was originally painted on a silk scroll in the late 18th or early 19th century CE. Artist Zhu Henian was clearly a great admirer of 14th-century painter Huang Gongwang and imitated his simplistic but soothing style.
Empress Xiao Yi Chun (23 October 1727 - 28 February 1775) came from the Han Chinese Wei clan. Her clan name was later changed to the Manchu Weigiya clan during the Jiaqing Emperor's reign. Empress Xiao Yi Chun's father was Wei Qing Tai, a Han Chinese official from Jiangsu. Lady Weigiya was born during the fifth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, and entered the Qing Dynasty Imperial Court as a lady-in-waiting to the Qianlong Emperor in 1745. Weigiya gave birth to six children in total, including four sons and two daughters. Among her children was the future Jiaqing Emperor. Weigiya died on 28 February 1775, in the fortieth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign. She was aged 47 years old, and was given the posthumous title of 'Imperial Noble Consort Ling-Yi'. In 1796, when Weigiya's son ascended the throne as the Jiaqing Emperor, he granted Weigiya the posthumous title Empress Xiao Yi Chun meaning 'Filial, Graceful, and Pure Empress'.
James Cook FRS RN (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer, ultimately rising to the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy. Cook was the first to map Newfoundland prior to making three voyages to the Pacific Ocean during which he achieved the first European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands as well as the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand. Cook died in Hawaii in a fight with Hawaiians during his third exploratory voyage in the Pacific in 1779.
Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774 by an agreement with Chao Kavila, after the Thai King Taksin helped drive out the Burmese. Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading and economic importance to its current status as the unofficial capital of northern Thailand, second in importance only to Bangkok.
Emperor Kōkō (光孝天皇 Kōkō-tennō, 830 – August 26, 887) was the 58th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Kōkō reigned from 884 to 887.<br/><br/> Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Tokiyatsu (時康親王) or Komatsu-tei. He would later be identified sometimes as 'the Emperor of Komatsu'. This resulted in the later Emperor Go-Komatsu adopting this name (go- meaning 'later', so 'Later Emperor Komatsu' or 'Emperor Komatsu II').<br/><br/> Tokiyatsu Shinnō was the third son of Emperor Nimmyō. His mother was Fujiwara no Sawako. Kōkō had four Imperial consorts and 41 Imperial sons and daughters.
A member of the Thirty-six Medieval Poetry Immortals, Izumi Shikibu served at the court of Empress Shoshi (988–1074).<br/><br/> She is best known for the Izumi Shikibu Collection (和泉式部集 Izumi Shikibu-shū) and the Imperial anthologies. Her life of love and passion earned her the nickname of 'The Floating Lady' from Michinaga. Her poetry is characterized by passion and sentimental appeal. Her style was the direct opposite of that of Akazome Emon, even though both served in the same court and were close friends.<br/><br/> At the court she also nursed a growing rivalry with Murasaki Shikibu, who had a similar poetic style, though this rivalry pales in comparison with Murasaki Shikibu's spirited competition with Sei Shōnagon. Izumi Shikibu's emotional poetry won her the praise of many at the court, including Fujiwara no Kinto.
Emperor Seiwa (清和天皇 Seiwa-tennō, 850–878) was the 56th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Seiwa's reign spanned the years from 858 through 876.<br/><br/> Shuncho Katsukawa was born in Edo and was a pupil of Shunsho Katsukawa. Shuncho is famous for his prints of actors and bijin, beautiful women. After 1795 Shuncho Katsukawa gave up printmaking and became a writer of novels. This woodblock print of Fujiwara Sadayori is from his series: 'One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets'.
William Hodges (28 October 1744 – 6 March 1797) was an English painter. He was a member of James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific Ocean, and is best known for the sketches and paintings of locations he visited on that voyage, including Table Bay, Tahiti, Easter Island, and the Antarctic. Hodges accompanied Cook to the Pacific as the expedition's artist in 1772-1775. Many of his sketches and wash paintings were adapted as engravings in the original published edition of Cook's journals from the voyage.
Yi Gwang-sa was one of the leading calligraphers of the Joseon period. He created a calligraphy style, called the 'Wongyo style' after his pen name, in an effort to establish an independent Korean style.<br/><br/> The colophon at top right reveals the portrait was painted in 1775, when Yi was 70 years old, by court painter Shin Han-pyeong, father of the famous genre painter Shin Yun-bok.