The actor Ichikawa Omezo as the manservant Ippei
1794
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
37.7 × 24.3 cm (14 7/8 × 9 5/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
18750
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of 18th-century Edo (modern-day Tokyo), Tōshūsai Sharaku captured the dramatic essence of kabuki theater with his masterful woodblock prints. Created in 1794, *The Actor Ichikawa Omezo the Manservant Ippei* portrays the famed performer in a dynamic role, showcasing Sharaku's signature style of yakusha-e—intensely psychological portraits of actors. This oban-sized print (37.7 × 24.3 cm) the ukiyo-e tradition, or "pictures of the floating world," which celebrated everyday pleasures like theater amid Japan's Edo period. Sharaku's brief but brilliant career produced around 15...
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...