A Memorial Portrait of Onoe Kikugorō IV 1860

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi created this print, A Memorial Portrait of Onoe Kikugorō IV, as a tribute to the actor’s recent passing. Yoshitoshi lived and worked during a time of huge social and political change. The rigid class structure of the Edo period was fading, which allowed artists to explore a broader range of subjects. The print captures both the actor’s public persona and the private grief surrounding his death. We see Onoe Kikugorō IV not only as himself, but also as the characters he embodied on stage, blurring the line between reality and representation. The floating lanterns and ghostly figures in the background create an eerie atmosphere, nodding to traditional Japanese folklore and beliefs about the afterlife. Onoe Kikugorō IV’s melancholic gaze conveys a deep sense of loss. This print embodies the complex interplay between personal identity, cultural memory, and artistic expression, prompting us to reflect on the ephemeral nature of life and legacy.