Ichikawa Omezö I as Sukeroku

Catalog note / 解説

Toyokuni's depiction of Ichikawa Omezö I as Sukeroku represents a prime example of a yakusha-e print, created to celebrate the likeness of the actor whom it depicts. Toyokuni's artistic career followed an unusual path, as he originally studied under Utagawa Toyoharu, an artist who focused primarily on landscape prints. His yakusha-e style was well known and often emulated by other artists during the late Edo period. This print depicts a very colorful Sukeroku, complete with his signature purple hachimaki (headband). It has been included by the artist to symbolize love. Sukeroku, the disguised samurai Soga Gorö, intentionally provokes the samurai he meets in the pleasure quarters to draw the…