Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) / Toyokuni III (三代豊国) (artist 1786 – 01/12/1865)
Nakamura Utaemon III (三代目中村歌右衛門) as a dancer from the series The Dance of the Nine Changes or Kyū henge no uchi (九へん化の内) from the play Sono Kokonoe Saishiki-zakura
03/1815
9.75 in x 14.25 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese color woodblock print
Signed: Gototei Kunisada ga 五渡亭国貞画
Publisher: Hiranoya Chōemon
Marks 112 - seal 02-055
The red seal of the poet Santō Kyōden on the left
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - a different print from this series The poem is by Kyōden (京傳).
とゝろかすはつかみなりや名のほまれ
There is another print from this series in both the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and in Waseda University - same image.
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In 'Ryusai Shigeharu: 'Quick change' dances in the Utaemon tradition' by John Fiorillo and Peter Ujlaki in Andon 72 & 73, October, 2002, p. 118 they wrote:
After Utaemon III returned from Edo to Osaka for the New Year's performances of 1813, he performed a dance of seven changes titled Minarōte chotto nanabake ('Instantaneous performances of seven dances') that he had presented in Edo the previous year." In the spring of 1816 he returned from Edo once again and in the third month performed a dance of nine changes titled Sono kokonoe saishiki zakura ('That nine-dance picture, the makeup of cherry blossoms in the four seasons'), which was highly acclaimed and well documented in a set of prints by several artists (among them Ashisato, Ashihiro, Ashiyuki, Baishi, Kunihiro, and Utakuni). The title seems to suggest that Utaemon's roles were so diverse as to span the four seasons in their variety, and were as beautiful as cherry blossoms. The character sai ('color') might also be read as 'makeup', implying that Utaemon III's makeup and costumes were also diverse.
Nakamura Utaemon III (三代目中村歌右衛門) (actor)
Hiranoya Chōemon (平野屋長右衛門) (publisher)
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)