Actor Ichikawa Ebizō as Takemura Sadanoshin from the Play "Koi Nyobo Somewake Tazuna - Yoshitsune Senbon-Zakura" (Kawarazaki-za) Possibly 1794 - 1795

Curator: Here we see Tōshūsai Sharaku's woodblock print depicting the actor Ichikawa Ebizō as Takemura Sadanoshin. Editor: What a striking portrait! The exaggeration of the actor's features – the nose, the eyes – it's almost caricature. Curator: Precisely. Sharaku emerged during a period of intense social and political change in Japan, capturing the essence of Kabuki actors. These prints served as both publicity and social commentary. Editor: Note the stark lines and the flat planes of color. The subtle gradations in the grey background and the kimono's details add depth, but it's the actor's intense gaze that really holds the viewer. Curator: And that gaze connects directly to the role itself, Takemura Sadanoshin, a figure of conflicted loyalties within the larger play. Sharaku seizes on that tension. Editor: It's a potent combination – formal innovation and theatrical bravado. A remarkable print.