The actor Sakata Hangoro III as Fujikawa Mizuemon

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of18th-century Japanese kabuki theater with Tōshūsai Sharaku's *The Actor Sakata Hangorō III as Fujikawa Mizuemon (1794). This woodblock print, anan-sized masterpiece measuring 37.3 × 23.9 cm, the intensity of Hangorō III in the role of the tragic samurai Fujikawa Mizuemon from a popular play. Produced during Japan's Edo period, it exemplifies ukiyo-e—the "pictures of the floating world"—a genre celebrating fleeting pleasures like theater, where kabuki stars were celebrities akin to modern idols. Sharaku, a enigmatic artist active for just two years (1794–1795), revolutionized yakusha-e (actor prints) with his bold, psychological style. Unlike the idealized beauty of contemporaries like Utamaro, Sharaku's unflinching realism highlights Hangorō's expressive face—piercing eyes, furrowed brow, and dynamic pose—conveying raw emotion through stark contours and vivid colors achieved via intricate woodblock carving and multi-block printing. This technique, perfected in Japan, allowed mass production while preserving artistic nuance. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia department, this print underscores kabuki's cultural dominance and Sharaku's enduring legacy; of his roughly 150 works, few survive, making originals treasures. It invites us to ponder the actor's inner turmoil, bridging performance and portraiture in a timeless gaze.

About the Artist

Tōshūsai Sharaku · 1794–1795

Tōshūsai Sharaku stands as one of the most enigmatic figures in Japanese art history, a ukiyo-e printmaker whose brilliant career blazed for just ten months from the summer of 1794 to early spring 1795. Active exclusively in Edo (modern Tokyo), he produced approximately 150 woodblock prints and sketches, primarily yakusha-e—intimate portraits of kabuki actors captured mid-performance. Published by...