Kunisada - Akasaka on the Tokaido

  Utagawa Kunisada Actor Bando Mitsuemon I, playing the role of Sawai Sukebei at Station 37 on the Tokaido. And what do you think he’s staring at through the telescope, an advancing army? No, he’s looking at an acquaintance of his having sex with a prostitute. Apparently in the Kabuki play, he gets so excited he passes out. 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. (length 36.9 cm × width