Actor Yamashita Kinsaku II as Sadato's Wife Iwate
1794–95
Medium
Possibly one sheet of a triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 1/2 x 5 7/8 in. (31.8 x 14.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1929
Accession Number
JP1519
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan with this captivating woodblock print by Tōshūsai Sharaku, titled *Actor Yamashita Kinsaku II as Sadato's Wife Iwate* (1794–95). Created during the height of kabuki theater's popularity, it portrays the acclaimed actor Yamashita Kinsaku II in the female role of Iwate, Sadato's wife, likely as one sheet of a dramatic triptych. Measuring just 12½ x 5⅞ inches, this intimate work exemplifies ukiyo-e—"pictures of the floating world"—that celebrated fleeting pleasures like theater and performance. Sharaku, a enigmatic artist active for only about two ...
About the Artist
Tōshūsai Sharaku · 1794–1795
Tōshūsai Sharaku stands as one of the most enigmatic figures in Japanese art history, a ukiyo-e printmaker whose brilliant career blazed for just ten months from the summer of 1794 to early spring 1795. Active exclusively in Edo (modern Tokyo), he produced approximately 150 woodblock prints and sketches, primarily yakusha-e—intimate portraits of kabuki actors captured mid-performance. Published by...