Osagawa Tsuneyo
Toshusai Sharaku
1794
Medium
nishiki-e
Dimensions
371; 251
About this artwork
height 371 mm x width 251 mm
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan *Osagawa Tsuneyo* (1794), a striking nishiki-e woodblock print by the enigmatic artist Toshusai Sharaku. This portrait captures the kabuki actor Osagawa Tseyo in a moment of dramatic intensity, embodying the theatrical flair of ukiyo-e—"pictures of the floating world"—that celebrated fleeting pleasures like theater and beauty. Sharaku, active for just two mysterious years (1794–1795), revolutionized actor portraits (yakusha-e) with his bold, unflinching depictions, peering deep into his subjects' psyches rather than idealizing them. The medium, ...