Onoe Shōroku I as the Ghost of the Shirabyōshi Hanako Standing over Osagawa Shichizō II as Tsumagi, Maid Servant to Sakurahime, in Uruō-ōgi Sumizome no Sakura
Utagawa Toyokuni I
c. 1810
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
36.4 × 24.7 cm (14 5/16 × 9 11/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
87457
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The actor Onoe Shōroku I (1744–1815; also known as Onoe Matsusuke I) was known for playing supernatural roles, which often required quick changes of costume to transform from a beauty into a demon or ghost. This print documenting a performance at the Ichimura-za Theater in Edo (now Tokyo) tries to mimic the special effects of the Kabuki stage by including a flap of paper that hides the ghost the young woman transforms into.
About the Artist
Utagawa Toyokuni I · 1777–1835
Japanese, 1777–1835