Untitled

Utagawa Toyokuni I

ca. 1795 · Woodblock print; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

Toyokuni's series "Kabuki Actors on Stage" was published between 1794 and 1796. In contrast to his rival To-shu-sai Sharaku, who exaggerated actors' climactic poses (mie) in close-up images, Toyokuni portrayed actors standing in relaxed poses. From the late eighteenth century on, Toyokuni and his numerous Utagawa-school disciples dominated the production of ukiyo-e prints of Kabuki stars. Toyokuni here presents Sawamura Sōjūrō III (1753–1801) in the role of Shimada Jūzaburō in the play Faithful Courtesans in Yoshiwara. The actor's trousers are decorated with a simplified chrysanthemum design and a stylized pattern of water known as kanze mizu, which became closely associated with Sōjūrō III and influenced textile fashion more widely. A Noh robe decorated with the kanze mizu pattern is on view in this gallery. The simplified background and kimono patterns enhance the arrested image of the actor.

Artist

Utagawa Toyokuni I

Date

ca. 1795

Medium

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936