Utagawa Kunisada/Toyokuni III (1786-1865) The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaido Road #48: Okute, 1852. Oban.
Click here for a detailed enlargement.
The
fantastic portrait of the actor Nakamura Utaemon IV, standing in as a
landscape print of the Biwa Pass at Okute, is a conundrum. All of the
literature ascribes the portrait in the role of Kagekiyo from the play
Hyuga (Hyuga Kagekiyo). The depiction though is clearly that of Shunkan, a monk involved in the Shishigatani plot to overthrow Taira no Kiyomori in the twelfth century.
The play, Heike Nyogo-ga-Shima, was a favourite of the Ichikawa line of actors. Originally a puppet play (bunraku) only the act Shunkan was usually staged in kabuki.
Three characters, including Shunkan, are exiled to a remote island for
the plot against Kiyomori. The men are pardoned but as they reach the
shore, Shunkan learns that his wife has been executed. He kills the
envoy who tells him this news thus guaranteeing his permanent exile on
the island. The play ends with the tragic figure of Shunkan waving in
isolation to the departing ship.
The vogue for travel prints was started by Hiroshige with his immensely popular series of post stations of the Tokaido road.
As the Edo government faltered in the mid-century, censorship forbade
the illustration of actors and hence artists like Kuniyoshi and Kunisada
developed a form called the mitate - a way of picturing actors
whilst appearing to show something else. Hence this series is nominally
a travel guide to the Kisokaido road (the inland route to Kyoto), but
as this piece illustrates, was a thinly veiled exercise in portraying
popular actors in sometimes subversive roles. The necessary secrecy
makes the latter identification consequently difficult.
It’s
a great print - fabulous characterisation in the drawing of Shunkan,
with a real terror in his gaze as he looks seawards towards the
departing ship. His hands are outstretched, his face a mask of despair.
In the distance, the boat departs, containing his two companions. The
cartouche contains small illustrations - clues to the drama - possibly
in this case, the unfurled letter of pardon. A fine print. Backed with Japanese album backing. Slight damage to top right. Top margin intact. Colour, impression fine.
Published by Kaga-ya Yasubei.
35cm x 25cm.
