Utagawa Yoshiiku: Silhouette of the Actor Bandô Shûka (Bando Mitsugoro VI) まことのつきはなのすがたえ Smoking a Pipe

Artist: Ochiai (Utagawa) Yoshiiku (1833-1904)
Title: Actor Bandô Shûka (Bando Mitsugoro VI) まことのつきはなのすがたえ Smoking a pipe

Series: Portraits as True Likenesses in the Moonlight  真寫月花の姿絵 
Date: 1867

Realistic shadow portrait of the actor Bando Shuka (Bando Mitsugoro VI) holding a tobacco pipe; we see their daytime portrait, upper right, wiping their face with a towel. The actor’s updo skillfully covers their mandatory shaved pate, so this actor must specialize in onnagata (female) roles. The actor wrote a poem that may be seen in the beautiful script that ends with a red seal at left.

Inspired by popular shadow performances, which were performed in front of a sliding door with a bright light behind them, as well as the development of photographs by camera, Yoshiiku made this series of works that portray the silhouettes of 36 famous actors, comparing them to the 36 Immortal Poets. They seem to have been done from life, with the actors actually sitting for their portraits behind a screen, as this is illustrated in the preface for the series. It is unusual in ukiyo-e to see actors portrayed in a way that may be today considered “realistic”, as features were generally stylized within certain artistic conventions.

Condition: Very good impression, color and condition. Very light spot near inset cartouche.
Dimensions: ôban (36.5 x 23.1 cm)
Publisher: Maryuya Tokuzo   Literature:  See MFA Boston. 

Signature: Ikkeisai Yoshiiku hitsu

SKU: YII048