Arashi Rikan II als Konoshita Tôkichi c. 1835

Curator: Wow, talk about an entrance! The visual punch of this ukiyo-e print really grabs you, doesn't it? Editor: Indeed, the commanding presence is immediately striking. It seems the intensity is all in the gaze. There’s also a rich flatness to the image... Curator: We are looking at "Arashi Rikan II als Konoshita Tōkichi," a circa 1835 engraving by Shunbaisai Hokuei. Editor: That’s an extremely patterned robe. How do the pattern dynamics influence our understanding? Curator: Well, think of kabuki theatre—the exaggerated costumes, the heightened drama. It’s all about making a statement. The bold geometric patterns—those little diamond shapes and triangular elements—and their kaleidoscopic colour scheme amplify the theatricality, creating this dynamic energy that leaps off the paper. The patterns, contrasted against the serene flat beige backdrop, evoke the dramatic artifice central to the representation of Kabuki figures. Editor: Precisely! The almost aggressive patterning competes with the central figure for dominance of the pictorial field. So the figure becomes locked into the pattern—is the representation about freedom of self expression or inescapable fate? Curator: Ah, that friction—that push and pull—between freedom and destiny…you’ve hit on something vital here. Ukiyo-e, literally "pictures of the floating world", are deeply entrenched in the impermanence and shifting realities of life. The artist represents Arashi Rikan II embodying Tōkichi, a character known later as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, from a pivotal moment in the play. The performance collapses different planes of existence through costume, makeup, gesture. Everything becomes symbolic, hinting to truths rather than directly stating them. Editor: And note the swords. One visible—the other hidden within. Curator: Foreshadowing. There’s a deliberate ambiguity that lends depth to his portrait. What stories simmer beneath that steely veneer? The details invite introspection into Japanese history, societal hierarchy, all wrapped up within a beautiful block print that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. Editor: A dynamic synthesis—between visual storytelling and the essence of human action—captured within Hokuei’s deceptively concise and powerfully engaging style.