Sumo Wrestler Tamagaki Gakunosuke IV

In this exuberant portrait of the celebrated sumo wrestler Tamagaki Gakunosuke IV (1784–1824) the artist Shuntei presents his subject from the rear as he turns his head to look at spectators, a gesture associated with the dohyō-iri (“entering the ring”) ceremony when wrestlers briefly acknowledge the crowd upon entering the ring. Stomping his muscular legs and swinging his massive biceps, he shows off his keshomawashi, the brocaded silk apron with his insignia. Gakunosuke IV made his professional debut in 1806, and by the fourth month of 1814 had achieved the status of maegashira (fifth highest rank in sumo), and then by the eleventh month of the same year he reached the prestigious status of ōzeki (second highest rank). It is therefore not surprising that this portrait of the wrestler was commissioned during his rapid rise in the sumo ranking hierarchy, when fans would have sought his portrait as a souvenir.

As a pupil of Shun’ei (1762–1819), Shuntei emerged as one of the most promising artists of the Katsukawa school, which specialized in Kabuki actor prints. Shuntei began designing sumo prints only later in his career, around age 37, just five or so years before this print was made.