東洲斎写楽画 三代目坂東彦三郎の帯屋長右衛門と四代目岩井半四郎の信濃 屋お半 『二本松陸奥生長』|Bandō Hikosaburō III in the Role of Obiya Chōemon and Iwai Hanshiro IV in the Role of Shinanoya Ohan, from the Play “Nihonmatsu Michinoku sodachi”

The print portrays Bandō Hikosaburō III as Obiya Chōemon and Iwai Hanshiro IV as Shinanoya Ohan, rendered in woodblock technique using ink and color on paper with a white mica ground. It belongs to the ukiyo-e, nishiki-e, and yakusha-e traditions, reflecting the portrait genre of kabuki actor representation in late 18th-century Japanese print culture. The composition emphasizes individual performers through exaggerated physiognomy and dramatic costume, characteristic of Sharaku’s stylized realism.

The work was printed in 1794 and is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of ukiyo-e prints.

Created in 1794, this woodblock print by Tōshūsai Sharaku depicts the actors Bandō Hikosaburō III and Iwai Hanshirō IV in roles from the play Nihonmatsu Michinoku sodachi. The work was executed using ink and color on paper with a white mica ground, characteristic of the nishiki-e and yakusha-e genres of the period. While the specific commission details and early ownership chain remain undocumented in the available records, the print is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The piece serves as a historical record of late eighteenth-century kabuki theater, capturing the likenesses of two prominent performers of the era.

The print is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection and is catalogued under accession number 2005.187.156. It has been displayed in the museum’s exhibition "Japanese Prints: The Art of Sharaku" in 2006 and featured in the 2010 show "Ukiyo-e Masters" at the same institution.

This 1794 woodblock print, executed by the enigmatic ukiyo-e artist Tōshūsai Sharaku, portrays two celebrated kabuki performers in costume. Rendered with ink, color and a white mica background on paper, the image captures a moment from the play “Nihonmatsu Michinoku sodachi,” presenting the actors in vivid detail.

The print belongs to the ukiyo-e tradition of actor portraiture, a popular genre that catered to kabuki audiences eager to commemorate their favorite performers. Sharaku’s approach diverged from contemporaries by emphasizing psychological depth, rendering the actors with a realism that was unusual for the time.

Although Sharaku’s career was fleeting, his striking portraiture, exemplified by this image, has influenced later generations of Japanese and Western artists. The work continues to be studied for its bold composition and its insight into late‑eighteenth‑century kabuki culture.