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The Actor Ichikawa Yaozō III as Tanabe Bunzō

1794, fifth month
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Sharaku’s skill as a portraitist lay in his ability to capture both the features and the mood of the actor in a simple, almost caricaturish, manner that conveys great emotive power. For instance, even without knowing the plot of the play, one might sense that this samurai is powerless, through his hunched shoulders, gently clasped hands inside his sleeves, slightly unkempt hair, and look of resignation. Ichikawa Yaozō III (1747–1818) played the role of a masterless samurai supporting the plot of two brothers to avenge their father in a performance of Flowering Irises: A Soga Vendetta for the Bunroku Era (Hana ayame: Bunroku Soga) that took place in the fifth month of 1794—the same production represented in the print nearby.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 東洲斎写楽画　市川八百蔵の田辺文蔵
  • Title: The Actor Ichikawa Yaozō III as Tanabe Bunzō
  • Artist: Tōshūsai Sharaku (Japanese, active 1794–95)
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
  • Date: 1794, fifth month
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink, color, and mica on paper; vertical ōban
  • Dimensions: Image: 14 1/2 × 9 7/8 in. (36.8 × 25.1 cm)
    Frame: 20 3/4 × 15 11/16 in. (52.7 × 39.8 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Lent by Lee E. Dirks
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art