Sanokawa Ichimatsu III as O-Nayo

by Sharaku (active 1794 - 1795)

Current Status

Sanokawa Ichimatsu III as O-Nayo by Sharaku (active 1794 - 1795)

Sharaku (active 1794 - 1795) Japanese Woodblock Reprint
Sanokawa Ichimatsu III as O-Nayo

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 - Classic Sharaku image of the kabuki actor Sanokawa Ichimatsu III as the beauty O-Nayo of Gion Street in a scene from "Hana Ayame Bunroku Soga." She holds a fan with delicate fingers as she looks ahead, her eyebrows raised and lips tightly closed. Her soft plum outer kimono is trimmed with a checkered design so favored by the actor that it became known as "Ichimatsu pattern," creating a popular fashion at the time. Her hair is piled high with a large comb and many hairpins and a small purple head-cloth. An intriguing portrait with a lovely distressed, metallic silver background.

Artist - Sharaku (active 1794 - 1795)

Image Size - 15" x 10 1/4" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Please see photos for details. Generally in nice condition overall.

Sanokawa Ichimatsu III as O-Nayo by Sharaku (active 1794 - 1795)
Sanokawa Ichimatsu III as O-Nayo by Sharaku (active 1794 - 1795)