{"product_id":"ukiyoe-japanese-woodblock-prints-syaraku-10","title":"Nakajima Wadaemon as Bōdara Chōzaemon Nakamura Korezō as Kanagawa-ya no Gon","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-short-description\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"231\" data-end=\"271\"\u003eScholarly Notes on This Ukiyo-e Print\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"273\" data-end=\"445\"\u003eThis description is based on the original scholarly notes supervised by Yoshida Eiji, a leading authority on ukiyo-e research and Sharaku studies, included with this print.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"447\" data-end=\"675\"\u003eEach artwork is accompanied by a thin sheet of Japanese washi paper containing academic commentary in Japanese. For international collectors, we provide here a faithful English translation as part of the artwork’s documentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"677\" data-end=\"680\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"682\" data-end=\"704\"\u003eArtwork Description\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"706\" data-end=\"993\"\u003eThis painting is regarded as the masterpiece among the five half-length paired portraits created by Sharaku during his first period. It depicts characters from the kabuki play \u003cem data-start=\"882\" data-end=\"909\"\u003eKatakiuchi Noriai Banashi\u003c\/em\u003e, performed at the Kiriza Theater in May of the sixth year of the Kansei era (1794).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"995\" data-end=\"1488\"\u003eAs in other paired half-length portraits, Sharaku emphasizes striking contrasts between the two figures. Wadaemon’s lean face stands in opposition to Korezō’s fuller features; Wadaemon’s downward brows counter Korezō’s upward brows; round eyes contrast with narrow eyes; a hooked nose is juxtaposed with a lion-like nose; and an open mouth confronts a tightly closed one. The two faces press toward each other without leaving visual space, intensifying the dramatic tension of the composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1490\" data-end=\"1888\"\u003eThe color scheme further heightens this contrast. Wadaemon’s costume is rendered in rich colors, while Korezō wears a comparatively plain white yukata. Through this deliberate opposition of form, expression, and costume, Sharaku creates a composition that is both lively and tightly constructed. The artist appears to have approached this work with confidence and perhaps even a sense of enjoyment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1890\" data-end=\"2321\"\u003eAt the time, both actors were classified as lower-tier performers in the third rank, and their roles were considered extreme rather than prestigious. Nevertheless, Sharaku chose to portray them. Depicting lower-ranking actors in ukiyo-e prints was uncommon among other artists, and this decision reflects Sharaku’s distinctive artistic confidence. For this reason, the painting is often regarded as one of his representative works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2323\" data-end=\"2326\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"2328\" data-end=\"2338\"\u003eEdition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2340\" data-end=\"2408\"\u003e1968 woodblock reprint\u003cbr data-start=\"2362\" data-end=\"2365\"\u003eHand printed using traditional techniques\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2410\" data-end=\"2482\"\u003eThis is a mid 20th century reprint after Sharaku’s original 1794 design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2484\" data-end=\"2487\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"2489\" data-end=\"2501\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2503\" data-end=\"2576\"\u003eGood impression with vibrant colors.\u003cbr data-start=\"2539\" data-end=\"2542\"\u003eFaint soiling consistent with age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2578\" data-end=\"2581\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"2583\" data-end=\"2593\"\u003eDetails\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2595\" data-end=\"2719\"\u003eSignature: Toshusai Sharaku\u003cbr data-start=\"2622\" data-end=\"2625\"\u003eDate: 1968\u003cbr data-start=\"2635\" data-end=\"2638\"\u003eJapanese Woodblock Print\u003cbr data-start=\"2662\" data-end=\"2665\"\u003ePrint size: 31 x 21 cm\u003cbr data-start=\"2687\" data-end=\"2690\"\u003eBacking sheet: 41.5 x 30 cm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2721\" data-end=\"2771\"\u003eAll artworks are sold as shown in the photographs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"2773\" data-end=\"2776\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-start=\"2778\" data-end=\"2805\"\u003eAbout the Sharaku Series\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2807\" data-end=\"2971\"\u003eTōshūsai Sharaku was active for only ten months between 1794 and 1795. During this brief period, he created actor portraits that broke dramatically from convention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2973\" data-end=\"3128\"\u003eRather than idealizing his subjects, Sharaku revealed the psychological intensity of kabuki performance through bold composition and uncompromising vision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3130\" data-end=\"3313\"\u003eThis series presents carefully selected mid 20th century woodblock reprints, printed by hand using traditional methods, offering a renewed encounter with Sharaku’s revolutionary work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Kumano.is","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46180498768172,"sku":"","price":24999.0,"currency_code":"ISK","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0796\/6205\/5724\/files\/4-8_Kumano_project_2023042513999_1.jpg?v=1707498679","url":"https:\/\/kumano.is\/products\/ukiyoe-japanese-woodblock-prints-syaraku-10","provider":"Kumano.is","version":"1.0","type":"link"}