Sharaku

Lore & Background

His compositions emphasize poses of dynamism and energy, and display a realism unusual for prints of the time. Contemporaries such as Utamaro represented their subjects with idealized beauty, while Sharaku did not shy from showing unflattering details. His mastery of the medium with no apparent apprenticeship has drawn much speculation, and researchers have long tried to discover his true identity—amongst the dozens of proposals, some suggest he was an obscure poet, a Noh actor, or even the ukiyo-e master Hokusai.

Reader's Guide

Sharaku's significance lies in his brief but intense output of yakusha-e portraits that broke from the idealized conventions of his time. His compositions highlight unflattering features such as large noses or wrinkles, and focus on the psychology of the actor and character, delivering an almost caricature-like exaggeration. His prints appeared in the common sizes aiban, hosoban, and ōban, and are divided into four periods, with the earlier prints considered artistically superior. The first period features ōkubi yakusha-e against black mica backgrounds; later periods show progressively smaller sizes and less expressive depictions. Despite contemporary disapproval, his work has come to be considered some of the greatest in ukiyo-e. The mystery surrounding his identity and the sudden end of his career continue to fuel scholarly debate.

Did You Know?

• Sharaku's active career as a woodblock artist spanned only ten months.
• His work met disapproval from the public due to its unflattering realism.
• Researchers have proposed dozens of identities for Sharaku, including Hokusai.