The actors Ichikawa Ebizo V and Ichikawa Saruzo I
Medium
Color woodblock print; right sheet of oban diptych (left: 1937.272b)
Dimensions
36.7 × 25.3 cm (14 7/16 × 9 15/16 in.); Diptych: 36.7 × 50.9 cm (14 7/16 × 20 in.)
Classification
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
23934
Art Historical Context
This striking color woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada I (also known as Toyokuni III) captures two celebrated kabuki actors of the mid-19th century: Ichikawa Ebizō V and Ichikawa Saruzō I. Created in 1849 during Japan’s late Edo period, the work forms the right half of an *ōban*-size diptych. Kunisada, one of the most prolific ukiyo-e masters of his time, specialized in *yakusha-e* (actor prints), bringing the excitement of the kabuki stage to a broad audience through vivid portraits that emphasized dramatic poses, expressive faces, and elaborate costumes. The medium itself reflects the soph...
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...