infrared rays 復習

名古屋市・徳川美術館は「源氏物語絵巻」を修復した過程で、多くの場面から書き直された痕跡を示す下絵が見つかったことを発表しました。

Japanese art restorers have found ink drawings underneath a 12th-century illustrated scroll that is designated as a national treasure.

The Genji Monogatari Emaki, or Tale of Genji Scroll, has scenes from the Japanese literature classic. The Tale of Genji was written by the noblewoman and court lady Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century.
Tokugawa Art Museum in Nagoya City owns 3 of the 4 scrolls. Staff at the museum have been restoring the paintings. While they were using infrared rays for a detailed examination of the scrolls, they found multiple ink drawings underneath the paintings. The painted image of a scene shows Hikaru Genji, the son of an ancient Japanese emperor, holding in his arms a baby that his wife Onna-san-no-miya bore as a result of adultery. The baby, Kaoru, is wrapped in swaddling clothes and his hands are not seen. But the underdrawing of the scene depicts Kaoru extending his arms toward Genji.

Genji knows his wife had an affair and Kaoru is not his child. It is thought that the baby's smile reminded Genji of his own act of adultery with his step-mother Fujtsubo.

http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/114297.php

これは修復の際、絵の裏紙をはがして赤外線写真などを実施したところ発見されました。「赤外線」は“infrared rays”とあります。infraredは「赤外線の、赤外線による」とあり、infra-は「下に、下部に」という意味を持っていました（『Wisdom英和辞典第３版』三省堂）。英英で確認してみると、“Infrared light feels warm but cannot be seen --- CLD”とありました。「赤外線」は“infrared light”とも表現できるようです。（Chris）