The actors Iwai Hanshiro IV (R) as Ohan of the Shinanoya and Bando Hikosaburo III (L) as Obiya Choemon

Art Historical Context

In the vibrant world of 18th-century Edo (modern-day Tokyo), Tōshūsai Sharaku's *The Actors Iwai Hanshiro IV (R) as Ohan of the Shinanoya and B Hikosaburo IIIL) as Obiya Choemon* (1794) captures two kabuki stars in dramatic roles from a popular play. Sharaku, a enigmatic artist active for just 10 months, specialized in ukiyo-e woodblock prints—literally "pictures of the floating world"—that immortalized theater life. This oban-sized print (38.4 × 25.4 cm) showcases the actors mid-performance, with Iwai Hanshiro IV on the right as the courtesan Ohan and Bando Hikosaburo III on the left as the l...

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...