Hokusui: Onoe Tamizo II as Shobai Isshin (SOLD)

Artist: Hokusui Yoshitoyo (active ca. 1849-1860)
Date: 1856

Onoe Tamizo II as Shobai Isshin. Osaka print from a series of five Confucian virtues–this is Sincerity. An old man with a long face holds a pipe in one hand as he leans left with a rather emotional expression. His skin seems to hold battle scars in several places. This is from a series of five prints commemorating a performance of Mukashi abumi bunbu no isaoshi (Ancient armor and meritorious military exploits: 昔鎧文武功) at the Naka Theater, Osaka in 3/1856. It bears a “one” at lower left, so this must be the rightmost design, as all five works could also have been put together in this five-part set. They also all stand alone as individual artworks. Hokusui Yoshitoyo produced around 200 chuban actor prints, and was a pupil of Utagawa Kuniyoshi. He is not to be confused with another artist with the name Yoshitoyo (Ichiryusai) who was also a pupil of the master. (For more information on this artist, please refer to the website of John Fiorillo).

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Minor pigment transfer on the face, and a fold where there is extra margin at left.

Dimensions: 25 x 19.2 cm (chuban)

SKU: OSA057