Morita Kan'ya Vll in the Role of Yura Hyogonosuke Nobutada
c. 1794
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban
Dimensions
31.8 × 14.9 cm (12 9/16 × 5 7/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
87286
Art Historical Context
Behold the intense gaze of Morita Kan'ya VII as Yuraōgonosuke Nobutada in this mesmerizing color woodblock print by Tōshūsai Sharaku, created around 1794. Rendered in the narrow hosoban format (31. × 14.9 cm), this compact artwork was designed for intimate viewing, often collected in albums during Japan's Edo period. It captures a dramatic moment from kabuki theater, where actors like Kan'ya embodied heroic samurai roles, blending artistry with popular entertainment. Sharaku, a enigmatic master of ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), transformed actor portraits with his revolutionary s...
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...