Nakamura Nakazo II as Prince Koretaka disguised as the farmer Tsuchizo in the play "Intercalary Year Praise of a Famous Poem (Uruo Toshi Meika no Homare)," performed at the Miyako Theater in the eleventh month, 1794
1794
Medium
Color woodblock print, oban
Dimensions
31.7 × 21.7 cm (12 1/2 × 8 9/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
39433
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Japanese kab theater with this striking woodblock print by Tōshūsai Sharaku, created in 1794. It portrays the acclaimed actor Nakamura Nakazō II in the dual role of Prince Koret disguised as the humble farmer Tsuchizō, from the playIntercalary Year Praise of a Famous Poem (ruo Toshi Meika no Homare)*, at Edo's Miyako Theater. At 31.7 × 21.7 cm, this oban-sized print— a standard large format for ukiyo-e—captures the actor mid-performance, his intense gaze and dynamic pose frozen in a moment of dramatic tension. Sharaku, a mysterious artist active for...
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...