Eizö and Matsuomaru (Artist’s proof)

This artist's proof depicts Eizō and Matsuomaru, two of the three triplet brothers at the center of the kabuki play Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, one of the most performed works in the classical repertoire. Sekino produced multiple prints on kabuki and theatrical subjects, bringing the same direct, sosaku-hanga sensibility he applied to portraiture. Artist's proofs, pulled before the edition, sometimes show slight variations in ink density or color mixing that distinguish them from the standard run. The confrontation or pairing of the two brothers — one who served a disgraced nobleman and one who served his enemy — offers strong compositional potential through contrasting costume color and facial expression. Sekino's theater prints typically emphasize the psychological intensity of the figures rather than the decorative splendor more common in commercial yakusha-e, giving the characters a psychological weight unusual in woodblock depictions of kabuki.