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 figures represent Bandō Hikosaburō III in the role of Obiya Chōemon and Iwai Hanshirō IV as Shinanoya Ohan. Their elaborate makeup and costumes signal a dramatic confrontation, while the fan and folded paper they hold suggest specific gestures within the theatrical narrative.

Sharaku employs stark, expressive line work to define the actors’ faces, contrasting sharply with the richly patterned kimonos. The use of a white mica ground adds a luminous sheen, enhancing the visual impact of the pigments and emphasizing the intensity of the performers’ expressions.

Created during Sharaku’s brief but prolific period of activity in 1794–95, the print belongs to a series of actor portraits produced in a ten‑month span before the artist vanished from the record. The work’s provenance traces through early Edo‑period collections, though its exact ownership history remains partially undocumented.

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.