The Actor Nakamura Utaemon III as Kyogoku no Takumi

Maker(s)
Artist: Shunkōsai Hokushū 春好斎 北洲 (fl. ca. 1810-1832)
Historical period(s)
Edo period, 1825
Medium
Ink, color and embossing on paper
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 37.8 x 25.7 cm (14 7/8 x 10 1/8 in)
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
The Anne van Biema Collection
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S2004.3.270
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Print
Type

Woodblock print

Keywords
actor, Anne van Biema collection, Edo period (1615 - 1868), fan, Japan, kabuki, portrait, surimono, theater, ukiyo-e, yakusha-e
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

Nakamura Utaemon III appears here in a portrait on a fan. He casts a menacing glare as the villain Kyogoku no Takumi, who murders the fencing master Ichimisai after the master defeats him. His elder daughter, Osono, and her fiancé, who is a disciple of Ichimisai, avenge Ichimisai's death. In a tour de force of acting skill, Utaemon played all three roles in a performance that was intended to mark his retirement from acting in 1825. He did not retire after all, but continued to act until his death in 1838. This print is one of several portraits on fans that were published for Utaemon's retirement performance. This print is inscribed, "The performance of a lifetime, hit play" (Isse ichidai atari kyogen). Embossing, a technique often employed in surimono, creates a realistic impression of the ribs of a fan.

Published References
  • Ann Yonemura, et al. Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection. Seattle and Washington. cat. 52, pp. 156-157.
Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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