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| Artist: | Ohta Masamitsu (1892?-1975) - Ota — 太田雅光 |
| Title: | Nakamura Tokizo III as Shizuka Gozen |
| Series: | Figures of the Modern Stage — 現代舞台藝蕐 |
| Date of first edition?: | 1954 |
| Publisher (first edition)?: | Miyake Koshodo |
| Publisher (this edition)?: | Miyake Koshodo |
| Medium (first edition): | Woodblock |
| Medium (this edition): | Woodblock |
| Format (first edition): | Large Oban
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| Format (this edition): | Large Oban |
| DB artwork code: | 37641 |
| Notes (first edition)?: |
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| Notes (this edition)?: |
| The following information was taken from the original web listing of this artwork. Note that there may be some inaccuracies:
Wednesday, 26 July 2006
Portraits of Actors in their Famous Roles: #7
Lot AU86
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Artist: Ota Masamitsu
Format: Large oban tate-e :17" x 11"
Subject: An unidentified actor in the role of an oiran. Print impressed mark 137 at base right.
Ota's portraits are notable for their realistic shading and attention to detail, especially in the hands, faces, and clothing of the actors. It is interesting to compare Yamamura Toyonari's 1916 print of Oboshi Yuranosuke to Ota's 1955 print of the same role. Similar to the ukiyo-e prints of Sharaku and Toyokuni, Toyonari's simple design has a flat stylized quality rarely seen in later shin hanga. Ota's portrait is much more three-dimensional, employing the Western techniques of perspective and shading. The contrast in detail between the sharply etched actor and the blurred receding background gives his prints a wonderful sense of depth. Ota's prints emphasized the individual personality of the actors over any traditional design conventions.
Date: 1955
Condition: Full size. Minor foxing, marks and flaws. Generally fine state.
Colour: Fine
Impression: Very fine with gauffrage and silver mica in the cloudy background. |
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| Artist Bio: |
A site dedicated to the works of Ohta Masamitsu can be found here.
Masamitsu Ota also known as Ōta Gako (太田 雅光, Ōta Masamitsu, 1892–1975) was a Japanese print-maker. He was one of the masters of the shin hanga movement. His work consisted mostly of kabuki actor prints that emphasized the individual personality of the actors, showcased through rich colors and exquisite patterns of complex design. Ota had a lifelong involvement with kabuki theater, illustrating volumes on major kabuki plays and famous kabuki costumes. His two most important set of actor prints, Showa Butai Sugata (1950) and Gendai Butai Geika (1955) were published by the Banchoro studio. These sets, of twelve prints each, exhibit a very high level of realism, achieved through the use of western techniques of perspective and through beautiful shading (bokashi) and attention to detail. (from https://peoplepill.com/people/masamitsu-ota)
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