Kunisada: Actor with candle
Move your mouse over image or click to enlarge

Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) 1786-1865) / Utagawa Hiroshige II (1826-1869)

Against a deep blue backdrop an actor sits in front of a burning candle, holding a tea bowl and pulling a woman’s yosegire kimono over his shoulder against the winter cold. The fan-shaped inset by Hiroshige II contains a view of snow-covered Emonzaka embankment in Shin-Yoshiwara on a winter evening.

Title: Shin-Yoshiwara Emonzaka

Series: Tôto shiki meisho zukushi (Famous places in the eastern capital, i.e. Edo, in the four seasons)

Signature: Ki-ô Toyokuni hitsu ( the 77-year-old old T. ), in Toshidama cartouche

Seal: Ichiryûsai (?) (landscape)

Blockcutter: Koizumi Hori Sen

Publisher: Sakanaya Eikichi (Uoei), Edo

Date: 1862, 11th month

Size: Vertical Ôban, 36.2 x 24.4 cm

Excellent impression and colours, with lustre and relief printing. Slightly trimmed at lateral margins, with traces of glue. Overall very nice condition.
From a rarely seen good series of half-length figures paired with landscapes. This print not in the Waseda collection.

€ 420,-