Sharaku - Not much is known about the woodblock print artist Toshusai Sharaku, who specialized in kabuki portraits. His career spanned only ten months from 1794 to 1795, with around 150 prints known. Unlike his contemporaries, Sharaku did not idealize his subjects, instead creating realistic portrayals that were not always flattering, and his prints were not a popular success at the time. His best works convey a rare perceptivity, with a psychological insight and a deep understanding of the dramatic nature of the roles and the actors he depicted. Sharaku left behind a body of masterworks of ukiyo-e kabuki portraiture that remained unrecognized until a century after his death.

Comments - Terrific portrait of Nakamura Nakazo II as Prince Koretaka disguised as a farmer Tsuchizo in the play "Oshukubai Koi no Hatsune." He frowns tight-lipped as he glares to the side, drawing his sword, his chin thrust forward defiantly. The black and yellow stripes of his outer kimono form a bold graphic pattern, worn over a pale orange robe with a repeated design of the actor's mon or crest, which also appears at upper left. A great Sharaku image, one we've never seen in reprint before.

Woodblock reprints - In the 20th century, artists and publishers collaborated to recreate famous woodblock prints for interested Japanese collectors and Westerners looking for rare designs. New blocks were made, and the prints were painstakingly printed by artisan printers in the same method as the 19th century originals - one block for each color. Woodblock reprints were an opportunity to collect and enjoy a famous design at a small fraction of the price of an original. They still are today.

Artist - Sharaku (active 1794 - 1795)

Image Size - 11 1/4" x 8 1/4" + margins as shown

Condition - With excellent color and detail. Paper remnants on reverse. Please see photos for details. Good overall.