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The Nineteenth Century: Expanding the Parameters of Ukiyo-e

Shunkōsai Hokushū (act. 1802–32)
Ichikawa Ebijūrō II as Ki no Haseo, Nakamura Utaemon III as Kujaku Saburō and Fujikawa Tomokichi II as Kōbai hime, in the Kabuki Play Tenmangū aiju no meiboku
1828
Color woodcut triptych with metallic powders and embossing
37.2 x 76.2 cm
Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Martin Levitz

Three kabuki actors appear together onstage. The play was performed at the Kado Theater in Osaka as the New Year’s premiere in 1828, when Ichikawa Ichizō II assumed the name Ebijūrō II. The deluxe printing and the lack of publisher’s mark and labels indicating the actors and roles may mean this was a private commission from someone who knew the play and the performers, each recognizable from distinctive facial features. The contrast between the realistic, receding background and the splendid pattern and color of the foreground figures and props characterizes the virtuosity of Osaka printmaking by a master at the height of his career.

Photo: Lynton Gardiner

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