Ōtani Oniji III in the Role of the Servant Edobei ～Ukiyoe by Sharaku～
This is the most famous work by Sharaku, a leading Japanese ukiyo-e artist.
Otani Onji III was a kabuki actor, and since the family crest of the Otani family is Maruju, this family crest is also painted on his kimono.
Yakusha paintings(Yakusha-e) painted by Ukiyo-e artists played a kind of promiscuous role in Japan at that time.
This work appears in the Kabuki play “Koi Nyobo Somewake Tetsuna” and portrays the role of the villain Washizuka Hapeiji’s servant.
◆Commentary
It has the awesome power and sharp expression of a bad guy.
The red makeup around the eyes is called “Beniguma,” which is unique to kabuki and shows strength.
Also characteristic is the palm of the hand, which represents the roughness of the bad guys.
The colors are rich, and their flamboyance accentuates the suitability of the role in kabuki.
◆Summary of Story
Ningyo Joruri（A kind of ancient Japanese puppet show）, an expanded and improved version of Tamba Yosaku Machiya Komurobushi by Chikamatsu Monzaemon.
Date Yosaku, a retainer of the Yurugi family, is exiled and becomes a wandering matriarch because of the theft of money to hire a servant of the young lord’s lover, Geiko Iroha, and because of his misconduct with Shigenoito.
In the end, Shigenoi’s father, the Noh actor Takemura Sadanoshin, performs “Dojoji” Noh for his lord, and then atones for his daughter’s crime by committing seppuku in the bell.
Edo-bei, in this story, appears as a servant of the bad guys.
◆About Sharaku
He is known as a mysterious painter who disappeared from the scene after printing actor paintings and other works for a short period of about 10 months.
The total number of works was 134 pieces of Yakusha-e, 2 Yakusha Osen-e, 7 Sumo-e, 2 Busha-e, 1 Ebisu-e, 9 Yakusha-version underdrawings, and 10 Sumo-version underdrawings were identified.
In fact, it is said that actor paintings at that time were not so popular, and that they quickly fell out of fashion because they portrayed the actors too plainly.
However, Sharaku’s actor paintings are very comical and impactful, and I think they are still very popular today.
↓Other masterpieces of Sharaku
