Act 3 (Sandanme), from the series "The Revenge of the Loyal Retainers (Chushingura)"
c. 1834/39
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
23.3 × 35.4 cm (9 3/16 × 13 15/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
26702
Art Historical Context
Step into the dramatic world of Edo-period Japan with Utagawa Hiroshige *Act 3 (Sandanme)*, from the series *The Revenge of the Loyal Retainers (ushingura)*, created around 1834–39. This vibrant color woodblock print, in the popular oban format (about 23.3 × 35.4 cm), a pivotal scene from the legendary kabuki play based on the true 1701–03 Akō incident. Hiroshige, a master of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") tradition, here showcases his skill in yakusha-e—actor prints—beyond his famed landscapes, blending dynamic composition with theatrical intensity. *Chushingura*, or *The Tre...
About the Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige · 1826–1869
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), born Andō Tokutarō, was the last great master of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking and one of the most influential landscape artists in history. Born in Edo (modern Tokyo) into a low-ranking samurai family serving as fire wardens, Hiroshige transformed landscape printmaking into a poetic meditation on nature, weather, and everyday life. His revolutionary approac...