Begonia (The Actors Nakayama Ichizō and Bandō Shuka) Possibly 1854 - 1856

This is a woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada, portraying the actors Nakayama Ichizō and Bandō Shuka. Notice the prominent presence of the begonia flowers above the actors, symbols of autumnal beauty and, paradoxically, fleeting moments, yet also enduring affection. The actors are caught in a tender moment, a visual motif of the human condition, echoing classical themes of love, transience, and the drama of human relationships. Consider the vessel, the sake bottle, emblem of conviviality and perhaps, escapism. These motifs are not new; they are echoes from antiquity. The begonia, though not present in classical art, embodies the same ephemerality found in ancient vanitas paintings, the same wistful beauty. The shared drink, the tender gaze, resonate with countless depictions of Bacchus and his revelers. The begonia's bloom, like life itself, is transient, a poignant reminder of our own mortality, a feeling that lingers in the subconscious, connecting us to the endless cycle of nature, echoed through artistic expression.