"Onoe Matsusuke as Matsushita Mikinoshin"

This picture, despite being one of Sharaku's most understated works, can be considered a masterpiece. It depicts the character Matsushita Mikinoshin from the play 'Katakiuchi Noriai Banashi,' performed at the Kiriza Theater in May of the sixth year of Kansei.
Mikinoshin, living in poverty as a wandering ronin and ultimately killed on behalf of Shiga Daishichi, exudes a palpable sense of his lonely and unfortunate existence, as well as his character traits, on the canvas.
The kimono is a deep green, essentially the sole color in the picture. Against this plain attire, the exhaustion is evident in Mikinoshin's gaunt appearance, with his elongated moon-shaped makeup, sparse beard under his nose and chin, and vacant eyes—a truly remarkable portrayal of his character's essence. Even the hand holding the fan lacks strength, conveying the destitute life of a wandering ronin.
This Matsusuke, later known as Matsuriku, was the father of Onoe Kikugorō III, who became a renowned actor in the Bunsei era, particularly known for his performances in ghost stories and sensational dramas such as 'Kobata Koheiji' and 'Tenjiku Tokubei.' Matsusuke passed away at the age of seventy-three in the twelfth year of the Bunsei era. In this May play, while he played the antagonist Sasaki Ganryū, Sharaku chose to focus more on portraying Matsushita Mikinoshin, perhaps captivated by the complexity of this shadowy character, displaying his unmistakable Sharaku-esque style.