Ichikawa Ebizo IV as Takemura Sadanoshin
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Object Label
The mysterious artist Tōshūsai Sharaku specialized in actor depictions in his apparently brief career as a print designer. His most groundbreaking and celebrated images focus on the face and upper body of the subject, set against a plain background covered in mica dust. Sharaku’s works emphasize the actor’s mastery of facial expressions, posture, and hand gestures to convey complex emotions. Here, one of the great performers of the day portrays a tragic hero at the moment when he realizes that his only honorable recourse is to commit ritual suicide.
Caption
Toshusai Sharaku Japanese, active 1794–1795. Ichikawa Ebizo IV as Takemura Sadanoshin, 1794/5. Color woodblock print with mica on paper, 14 3/8 x 9 7/16 in. (36.5 x 24 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Frederic B. Pratt, 42.85. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 42.85_IMLS_SL2.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Ichikawa Ebizo IV as Takemura Sadanoshin
Date
1794/5
Period
Edo period
Geography
Place made: Japan
Medium
Color woodblock print with mica on paper
Classification
Dimensions
14 3/8 x 9 7/16 in. (36.5 x 24 cm)
Signatures
Toshusai Sharaku
Credit Line
Gift of Frederic B. Pratt
Accession Number
42.85
Rights
No known copyright restrictions
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