Portrait of Arashi Kichizaburō III (1810–1864) in the Role of Baiōmaru

Utagawa Kunisada Japanese

Not on view

Kunisada, also known as Toyokuni III after the death of his master, was one of the most popular artists of the first half of the nineteenth century. This print portrays the actor Arashi Kichizaburō III (1810–1868) as a close-up image emerging from a sake cup. Kichizaburō is shown in the role of Baio-maru (Plum Boy) from the play Sugawara's Secrets of Calligraphy.

A poem by Kichizaburō, inscribed in two lines at the left, can be translated as follows:

Spear plums grow strong in the sunshine.

Portrait of Arashi Kichizaburō III (1810–1864) in the Role of Baiōmaru, Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese, 1786–1864), Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.