Elegance and Enigma: Utamaro and Sharaku’s Sensational Ukiyo-e Portraits

Keio Museum Commons will hold an exhibition of the Seiichirō Takahashi Ukiyo-e Collection, which was collected by the economist and former acting president of Keio University. In this second showing of the collection, we focus on two of the most important ukiyo-e artists of the late Edo period, KITAGAWA Utamaro and TŌSHŪSAI Sharaku. The exhibition showcases the ukiyo-e works of Utamaro, who was a master of bijin-ga (portraits of beautiful women) or “beauties,” and Sharaku, who was renowned for his yakusha-e (portraits of actors), with related materials by their publisher, TSUTAYA Jūzaburō. The exhibition will also feature works by other artists active during the same period. We invite visitors to enjoy the artistic “contest” between elegance enigma.