Ichikawa Norinosuke and Ichikawa Yonejuro as Morihachi and Yonehachi, Two Comedians
- Date:
- Late 1830s or early 1840s
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print
- Source:
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Description
This Cleveland Museum of Art color woodblock print from the late 1830s or early 1840s captures Hasegawa Sadanobu I in his core mode of Osaka kabuki actor portraiture, depicting the actors Ichikawa Norinosuke and Ichikawa Yonejuro in their roles as the comic figures Morihachi and Yonehachi. The pairing of two named actors in dialogue or contrasting expression is a hallmark of mid-nineteenth-century Osaka chuban prints, allowing designers to compress the dramatic relational structure of kabuki onto a single sheet. Sadanobu's training under Utagawa Sadamasu shows in the firm linework defining the actors' faces and the careful attention to costume pattern and color. The work dates from the period immediately before the Tempo Reforms of 1842 briefly suppressed actor print publication, placing it among Sadanobu's early independent designs after he had established his Sadanobu signature. Cleveland's acquisition in 1980 contributed an important early example of Osaka kabuki print culture to the museum's growing collection of kamigata-e.
More Prints by Hasegawa Sadanobu I
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More Landscapes Prints
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ichikawa Norinosuke and Ichikawa Yonejuro as Morihachi and Yonehachi, Two Comedians was created by Hasegawa Sadanobu I (長谷川貞信) in Late 1830s or early 1840s.
Ichikawa Norinosuke and Ichikawa Yonejuro as Morihachi and Yonehachi, Two Comedians depicts landscapes.