Sharaku Toshusai

写楽東洲斎

also known as Jurobe

Background

Neither his true name nor the dates of his birth or death are known.

Career

His active career as a woodblock artist spanned ten months; his prolific work met disapproval and his output came to an end as suddenly and mysteriously as it had begun. His work has come to be considered some of the greatest in the ukiyo-e genre.

Sharaku Toshusai made mostly yakusha-e portraits of kabuki actors. His compositions emphasize poses of dynamism and energy, and display a realism unusual for prints of the time-contemporaries such as Utamaro represented their subjects with an idealized beauty, while Sharaku Toshusai did not shy from showing unflattering details. This was not to the tastes of the public, and the enigmatic artist's production ceased in the first month of 1795. His mastery of the medium with no apparent apprenticeship has drawn much speculation, and researchers have long tried to discover his true identity-amongst the dozens of proposals, some suggest he was an obscure poet, others a Noh actor, or even the ukiyo-e master Hokusai.

Works

$Sawamura S\u014Djur\u014D III as Ogishi Kurando Sawamura S\u014Djur\u014D III as Ogishi Kurando$ Shinozuka Uraeimon as the announcer at Miyako-za Shinozuka Uraeimon as the announcer at Miyako-za

Shinozuka Uraeimon as the announcer at Miyako-za Shinozuka Uraeimon as the announcer at Miyako-za

$Daid\u014Dzan Bungor\u014D enters the sumo ring Daid\u014Dzan Bungor\u014D enters the sumo ring$ $Segawa Kikujur\u014D III as Oshizu, Wife of Tanabe Segawa Kikujur\u014D III as Oshizu, Wife of Tanabe$ Ichikawa Ebizo IV as Takemura Sadanoshin Ichikawa Ebizo IV as Takemura Sadanoshin

Ichikawa Ebizo IV as Takemura Sadanoshin Ichikawa Ebizo IV as Takemura Sadanoshin

$Ichikawa Komaz\u014D III as Kameya Ch\u016Bbei and Nakayama Tomisabur\u014D as Umegawa Ichikawa Komaz\u014D III as Kameya Ch\u016Bbei and Nakayama Tomisabur\u014D as Umegawa$ $Ichikawa Omez\u014D I as Tomita Hy\u014Dtar\u014D Ichikawa Omez\u014D I as Tomita Hy\u014Dtar\u014D$ $Nakayama Tomisabur\u014D as Tsukuba Gozen Nakayama Tomisabur\u014D as Tsukuba Gozen$ $Nakajima Kanz\u014D as Negoto no Ch\u014Dz\u014D Nakajima Kanz\u014D as Negoto no Ch\u014Dz\u014D$ $Arashi Ry\u016Bz\u014D II as \u014Ctomo Yamanushi Arashi Ry\u016Bz\u014D II as \u014Ctomo Yamanushi$ $Nakamura Nakaz\u014D II as the farmer Tsuchiz\u014D, actually Prince Koretaka Nakamura Nakaz\u014D II as the farmer Tsuchiz\u014D, actually Prince Koretaka$ Nakamura Noshio II as Konohana, Daughter of Ki no Tsurayuki Nakamura Noshio II as Konohana, Daughter of Ki no Tsurayuki

Nakamura Noshio II as Konohana, Daughter of Ki no Tsurayuki Nakamura Noshio II as Konohana, Daughter of Ki no Tsurayuki

$Ichikawa Ebiz\u014D as Kud\u014D Saemon Suketsune Ichikawa Ebiz\u014D as Kud\u014D Saemon Suketsune$ $Ichikawa Danj\u016Br\u014D VI as Soga no Gor\u014D Tokimune Ichikawa Danj\u016Br\u014D VI as Soga no Gor\u014D Tokimune$ $Ichikawa Danj\u016Br\u014D VI as Soga no Gor\u014D Tokimune Ichikawa Danj\u016Br\u014D VI as Soga no Gor\u014D Tokimune$ Ebisu Ebisu

painting
- Sawamura Sōjurō III as Ogishi Kurando
  1794
- Shinozuka Uraeimon as the announcer at Miyako-za
  1794
- Daidōzan Bungorō enters the sumo ring
  1795
- Segawa Kikujurō III as Oshizu, Wife of Tanabe
- Ichikawa Ebizo IV as Takemura Sadanoshin
- Ichikawa Komazō III as Kameya Chūbei and Nakayama Tomisaburō as Umegawa
- Ichikawa Omezō I as Tomita Hyōtarō
- Nakayama Tomisaburō as Tsukuba Gozen
- Nakajima Kanzō as Negoto no Chōzō
- Arashi Ryūzō II as Ōtomo Yamanushi
- Nakamura Nakazō II as the farmer Tsuchizō, actually Prince Koretaka
- Nakamura Noshio II as Konohana, Daughter of Ki no Tsurayuki
- Ichikawa Ebizō as Kudō Saemon Suketsune
- Ichikawa Danjūrō VI as Soga no Gorō Tokimune
- Ichikawa Danjūrō VI as Soga no Gorō Tokimune
- Ebisu

References

toshusai sharaku edo kara awa no kuni e feedback rekishi wo kaeru coaching series Japanese Edition
Sharaku's Japanese Theater Prints Little is known of the acclaimed 18th-century Japanese artist Toshusai Sharaku. This impressive volume is the definitive illustrated catalog of the surviving works of this legendary figure -- offering connoisseurs and collectors clear black-and-white reproductions of 146 prints and drawings. Each print is accompanied by extensive commnetary providing details of background and coloring; inofrmation on states and impressions; and identifications of actors and other subjects, and roles depicted. Also included are succinct plot summaries of the plays in which Sharaku's subjects appeared. Here is a priceless record of Japan's popular Kabuki theater.
1984

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