The actor Bando Hikosaburo III as Sagisaka Sanai 1794

Curator: Here we have a woodblock print from 1794, currently housed at The Art Institute of Chicago. It's by Tōshūsai Sharaku and it is titled "The actor Bando Hikosaburo III as Sagisaka Sanai". Editor: The first thing that strikes me is the intensity of his gaze. He seems almost… wary, distrustful? And the way the artist elongates his features into what almost borders on a caricature emphasizes that unease. Curator: Yes, Sharaku was active only for a short time, roughly ten months, during which he almost exclusively produced portraits of Kabuki actors, often emphasizing unflattering, almost grotesque features. It was quite controversial at the time. While earlier Ukiyo-e prints of actors often idealized them, Sharaku dared to represent them as he saw them. Editor: It’s a fascinating contrast to earlier depictions. Look at the costume. Even with the simplified color palette typical of woodblock printing, the emblems on his robe—do those signify his clan, or perhaps a theatrical association? And the lantern… such a geometric form compared to the more fluid lines of the face. It makes me think of illumination, of exposing secrets, perhaps mirroring the unflinching gaze of the portrait itself. Curator: Absolutely. The exaggerated features are a calculated move away from idealization, one which some theater critics and audiences reacted poorly to. Yet this approach became incredibly important as tastes shifted, influencing much later character design and approaches to theater promotion in Japanese popular culture. Editor: So Sharaku challenged expectations of celebrity and image crafting. Even in this static print, the emotional weight—the hint of contempt or suspicion in his eyes—it makes this Sagisaka Sanai remarkably relatable. It's almost as if Sharaku wasn't just portraying a famous actor but peeling back layers to reveal universal anxieties about trust and authenticity. Curator: He forced a shift in what audiences and patrons expected. He expanded artistic, commercial and political boundaries in the theater, even if, initially, he didn't receive all the acclaim due him. Editor: Ultimately, Sharaku left behind a powerful statement on artifice and truth, something still compelling after two centuries.