Sawamura Sojuro III - Katsukawa Shun'ei

A monumental and extremely rare yellow-ground aiban showing the actor Sawamura Sojuro III in the role of Nagoya Sanza in the play Keisei sanbon karakasa performed at the Miyako-za, 7/1794. Shun’ei designed another print of the same actor and role, see the Walter Amstutz collection, Sothebys, 1991, lot 98. Shun’ei – the originator of the ‘Big Head’ – was something of an eccentric and a great lover of the theatre and sumo. Shuntei Katsukawa was a pupil of Katsukawa Shunei. His print works covered a wide spectrum of typical Ukiyo-e subjects: actors, beautiful women, warriors, battle scenes, landscapes. His landscape prints are highly influenced by western painting - using perspective.