Portrait of the Actor Ichimura Uzaemon XIII as
the Burglar Oniazami no Seikichi, early 1820s
Toyohara Kunichika, (1835-1900) originally named Yasohachi Oshima, was born in the Kyobashi district of Edo. Around the age of eleven, he became a student of the ukiyo-e master Chikanobu and at thirteen he entered the studio of Kunisada. Here he received his artist name – Kunichika, derived from the name of his two masters.
Kunichika married in 1861 and had a daughter named Hana. The marriage ended however, and he is known to have had many lovers. He moved many times throughout his life, was known for drinking a great deal, and for visiting the brothels. He also had a love for Kabuki, the theater. He regularly visited the backstage making sketches of actors. This is what he became known for.
Toyohara Kunichika is was a designer of actor prints, but he also dabbled in prints of beautiful women and some designs with historic scenes. During his lifetime, he was an esteemed and appreciated artist but he never received the public attention that his master Kunisada had. In 1867, one year before the collapse of the Shogunate, he received an official commission by the government to contribute to the 1867 World Exhibition in Paris.
Kunichika prints have usually strong colors, as the artist preferred strong red and dark purple-blue colors. These appear often as backgrounds in his prints. They were made of aniline dyes imported in the Meiji period from Germany. For the Japanese the red color had the meaning of progress and enlightening by the new era of Western progress.
The Actors Ichikawa Sadanji I, as Kada Ichigo (right), and
Bando Kakitsu I, as the Kyoto Merchant, Komachiya Soshichi
From the series: Sanju-rokkaso no Uchi (Thirty-six Flowering Plants). The series compares flowering plants with celebrated actors. Since it playfully imitates the theme of the Sanju-rokkasen "Thirty-six Selected Poets," the series probably consisted of a total of 36 prints. The actor Ichimura Uzaemon XIII is depicted in front of blooming blessed thistles (oniazami). Uzaemon XIII was a very popular actor, especially for his enactment of burglar roles. In this print he is seen in the role of the burglar Oniazami no Seikichi in the play "Kosode Soga Azami Ironui," performed at the Ichimura-za theatre in the 2nd month of 1859. Ichimura Uzaemon was a great success in this role.
The print is the left-hand sheet of a triptych (Unsigned. Signed on the right-hand sheet of triptych). The center sheet and the right-hand sheet depict the protagonists Ichikawa Danjuro IX, as the pirate Kezori Kyuemon, and Iwai Shijaku III, as the courtesan Kojoro of Hakata. The play is "Koi Minato Hakata-uta" (A Love-lorn Harbor: Reciting Songs of Hakata). This play was performed at the Shintomi-za theatre, Tokyo, in August, 1883.