Onoe Kikugoro VI as Omatsuri Sashichi, 1931 - Terrific kabuki portrait of Onoe Kikugoro VI as the fireman Omatsuri Sashichi, who ends up murdering his lover, the beautiful geisha Koito. He stares over his shoulder with a troubled expression, frowning with a look of disdain. He wears a short blue jacket patterned with flowers over blue pants, a dotted towel draped over his shoulder. A low bench at right is covered with a red cloth, and two small inset squares above show a green print and an image of a red paper lantern blowing in the breeze. A handsome, expressive figure with fine bokashi shading in the background and swirling baren marks near the bottom. This image comes from a series of fifteen prints supplementing Shunsen's slightly earlier series of "Thirty-six Portraits of Actors in Various Roles."

Publisher - Watanabe, with Watanabe-ko seal in gray at lower right
Signed - "Shunsen" seal in subject, with artist's red stamp of approval in lower right corner

Artist - Natori Shunsen (1886 - 1960)

Image Size - 14 7/8" x 10 1/8" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Slight toning at top corners from previous mounting, a few light creases, stamped "312" on reverse at bottom edge. Please see photos for details. Good overall.