Rafu

This [oban](/glossary/oban) woodblock print bears the title Rafu, a Japanese word that can refer to a sketch, draft, or nude study, depending on context. In Toyonari's body of work, this likely represents a figure study, possibly depicting a woman in a state of casual undress or a loosely rendered portrait. The title suggests a more informal or intimate register than his polished actor portraits, offering a glimpse of the artist's private working process or his interest in subjects beyond the theatrical world. The woodblock rendering maintains Toyonari's clean linework even in this less formal context. Prints like this one reveal the range of interests that lay behind the public-facing kabuki portraits for which Toyonari is primarily remembered.