1964 After Sharaku "Actors Nakajima Wadauemon and Nakamura Konzo", Full-Color Print From Japan

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An excellent large full-color Ukiyo-E Hanga print after original woodblock print "Actor Nakajima Wadauemon as Choemon and Actor Nakamura Konzo … Read more An excellent large full-color Ukiyo-E Hanga print after original woodblock print "Actor Nakajima Wadauemon as Choemon and Actor Nakamura Konzo as Gon of Kanagawa-Ya" by Toshusai Sharaku. Comes from a rare Collection of 24 Masterpieces by Sharaku. Produced & published by Shuei-Sha, Tokyo, in September, 1964. Printers: Toppan Printing Co., LTD. Printed on one side. Attached at the top to a board of heavy textured paper, covered with lighter sheet of paper for protection, numbered 10 on the label on the front of the cover. Excellent condition - minor edge wear on the board, minor age wear on the cover, never framed, ready to be framed. Copy of the commentary by Dr. Kiyoshi Shibui and Mr. Sadao Kikuchi (below) in Japanese and English is included.

Overall (folded) 12.50"W x 18.25"H
Overall (unfolded) 25"W x 18.25"H
Image 9.70"W x 14.55"H

Commentary by Ukiyo-e Art consultant & editor Dr. Kiyoshi Shibui and Mr. Sadao Kikuchi:
Signature: signed Toshusai Sharaku
In the possession of Mr. Kiyoo Yamamoto, Ashiya

SHARAKU painted 5 different picture of this type in which two half-length portraits of strongly contrasting types are set up in one picture. The thin man Wada-Uemon is set against the fat one Konozo. Wada-Uemon's aquiline nose is in contrast with Konozo's pug nose. Wada-Uemon's drooping eyebrows against Konozo's upturned eyebrows. The red ochre of Wada-Uemon's rain coat against Konozo's gray and green checks on white background. Such a color scheme promotes the contrast of the two characters.

The characters are taken from the same "Vendetta Ferry Boat" but these are very minor parts and no other Ukiyo-E portrait painters evidently thought it worth while to bother with them, they concentrated only on star players, particularly on popular female impersonators, but SHARAKU characteristically went in for the interest of the characters no matter how slight their parts in the play, creating something truly living, and peopled his world with these infinitely interesting stage personalities brought to life by the touch of his brush. See less