TOSHUSAI SHARAKU (ACT. 1794-95)

The subject of ongoing debate; neither the true name, nor the dates of birth and death of the artist Toshusai Sharaku are known. This elusive artist's active career under this name spanned a mere ten months and his dynamic portraits of actors were imbued with a realism unusual at the time. However, his work has come to be considered some of the most important of the entire ukiyo-e genre.
The play Hana-ayame Bunroku Soga was a popular vendetta play in which the Soga brothers set out to avenge their father's murder. This print shows the actor Arashi Ryuzo playing the role of the mean-spirited money lender Ishibe Kinkichi, his face with intense expression.
Another impression in the collection of The British Museum (1909,0618,0.47).