Art Archive • Sharaku
Ukiyo-e
Ōkubi-e
Kabuki Actor Morita Kan’ya VIII as the Palanquin-Bearer in the Play A Medley of Tales of Revenge
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Tōshūsai Sharaku. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (public domain).
About this work
Morita Kan’ya VIII as the palanquin-bearer Gorō no Jirōsaku — a comic supporting role exaggerated into unforgettable physiognomy.
Morita Kan’ya VIII portrays the palanquin-bearer in A Medley of Tales of Revenge. Sharaku proves that even walk-on parts deserve forensic attention.
Viewing notes
Compare this comic distortion with tragic heroes in the same revenge series.
Look for how shoulder-less cropping forces all narrative into the face.
The mica ground here makes the exaggerated features feel lit from a footlight.
Extended Japanese viewing notes: 八代目森田勘弥の鴬の次郎作.