Kunisada - Fujikawa Station

Utagawa Kunisada / Toyokuni III

Fujikawa Station: (Actor Onoe Tamizô II as) Sasaki Fujitarô, from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tôkaidô Road
「東海道五十三次の内　藤川駅　佐々木藤三郎」　二代目尾上多見蔵

Toyokuni III's 1852 series "The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" pairs kabuki portraits with the stations along the famous Tokaido Road. Each design features a half-length figure in the foreground, with a border of clouds separating the actor from the landscape above. Interestingly, the title cartouche of each print is framed by different objects related to the kabuki character or play, including armor and weapons, household objects, flowers, horse equipment, and traveler's clothing and baggage. The large expressive characters are beautifully drawn and detailed, with fine line work in the hair and soft bokashi shading in the backgrounds.

Condition: Good color and impression, not backed, margins as shown, some small holes and insect damage.

Date: 1852

Publisher: Iseya Kanekichi 

https://collections.mfa.org/objects/531798