Memorial Portrait of the Actor Ichikawa Ebizo V (Ichikawa Danjuro VII)
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
36.2 × 25.5 cm (14 1/4 × 10 in.)
Classification
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
23768
Art Historical Context
This memorial portrait by Utagawa Kunisada I, also known as Toyokuni III, captures the likeness of the celebrated kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizō V, posthumously honored under his stage name Ichikawa Danjūrō VII. Created in 1859 as a color woodblock print in the standard oban format, the work belongs to the rich tradition of yakusha-e, or actor prints, that flourished in Japan’s Edo period. Kunisada, one of the most prolific ukiyo-e masters of his time, specialized in vivid portrayals of the kabuki stage, and this piece serves as a poignant tribute following the actor’s passing. Woodblock printin...
About the Artist
Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III) · 1786–1864
Utagawa Kunisada I, also known as Toyokuni III (1786–1865), was born Sumida Shōgorō in the Honjo district of Edo (modern Tokyo) into a family that operated a hereditary ferry-boat service, providing stability after his father's early death. Displaying prodigious talent in drawing from childhood, he became an apprentice to the master Utagawa Toyokuni I around 1801 at age fifteen, entering the prest...