Two Lovers, Oshichi and Kichisaburo
c. 1708
Medium
Hand-colored woodblock print; o-oban, tan-e
Dimensions
56.4 × 29 cm (22 1/4 × 11 7/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
54774
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of early 18th-century Edo (modern Tokyo), Okumura Masanobu captures the poignant tale of *Two Lovers, Oshichi and Kichaburo* in this hand-colored woodblock print from 1708. Masanobu, a pioneeringkiyo-e artist, the ill-fated couple from a popular kabuki drama inspired by real events: young Oshichi, daughter of a greengro, falls deeply in love with temple servant Kichisaburo the 1682 Great Fire of Meireki. Separated by circumstance, her desperate act to reunite with him leads to tragedy, embodying the fleeting pleasures and sorrows of the "floating world." This o-oban tan-e...
About the Artist
Okumura Masanobu · 1686–1764
Japanese, 1686–1764