Oban tate-e (36 x 16.5 cm). Large portrait of the actor, Sawamura Sojuro III, in the role of Ogishi Kurando in the play, “Hana Ayame Bunroku Soga”, which was performed in the Miyako-za kabuki theatre during the fifth month of the year 1794. Unsigned; uncensored; without publisher’s details (the signature “Toshusai Sharaku ga”, censorship stamp kiwame and the publisher’s stamp of Tsutaya Juzaburo are cut off).
Very good impression, mica, colours faded, surface rubbed and slightly soiled, left side considerably trimmed (4 to 5 cm), right side considerably trimmed, as well (1.5 to 2 cm), thin and missing areas backed and partly touched up, hinged in matt. (BA)

Provenance:
Austrian private collection. Purchased on 27 May 1975 at Hôtel Drouot, lot 380. Sold 21 December 1925, in an auction? of objects from the Isaac Collection, lot 129.

Sharaku left behind an oeuvre of a good 140 different works, all of which were created within the time frame of only ten months between 1794 and 1795. Who Sharaku was, under whom he was trained as an artist and what became of him is hitherto unknown. All of his woodcuts were published by Tsutaya Juzaburo. They were published in four periods of time. The first two groups are expressive, almost caricature-like portraits of the heads of coeval actors in oban format, for which Sharaku is known today. Tsutaya must have held Sharaku in very high esteem, for he put a great deal of effort into executing these two series as magnificently as possible. The very meticulous prints are richly decorated with an expensive mica background. The present print originates from the first series. At the end of 1794 Sharaku produced smaller hosoban and aiban formats depicting full-body portraits of actors and sumo wrestlers, which were more conventional in form and less expressive. For the public, which could not appreciate the caricatured aspect, Sharaku’s series were not so popular. It seems likely that Tsutaya Juzaburo quickly withdrew the prints in order to prevent a financial catastrophe. Surely, no later publications were released (such as with Hokusai and other ukiyoe artists), as there were insufficient buyers of Sharaku’s portraits to be found. Only much later did Sharaku’s talent become recognized by a large audience. Until then, the original blocks were long used for other purposes and no new editions could be printed. Hence, original woodcuts by Sharaku are very rare.