Titel: Shunro Period. Yakusha-e. Artist: Katsushika Hokusai Size: each 33*15cm Material: Echizen Kizuki Hōsho Publisher: Adachi Hanga Printing Date: 1970s Original published: 1778 Condition: The Diptychon is in a good condition with minor foxing. The third print has foxing all over the print. Please review the images carefully. About the works: Long before Katsushika Hokusai achieved world fame through his iconic landscape genre, he was a curious explorer of artistic expression. Around 1790, he still signed his works as "Shunrō" – and under this name created some of the most fascinating portraits of Kabuki actors (Yakusha-e), which today count among the rare testimonies of his early creative period. This diptych depicts the famous actors Ichikawa Komazō III (right) and Matsumoto Kōshirō IV (left) in two iconic roles: Hirai Gompachi, the charming yet dangerous young bandit, and Banzui Chōbei, the proud fighter of Edo. The scene Hokusai captures is full of tension: Chōbei, with his hand on his sword hilt, stands facing the young Gompachi, who calmly contemplates the famous flute Dai-suiryū – a moment between confrontation and quiet drama. Hokusai succeeds in emphasizing the personalities of both performers with clear, almost sculptural lines. Komazō appears almost vulnerable with his soft maegami hair and hitched-up hakama trousers, while Kōshirō – already an established star of the Edo stage – exudes power and confidence. The finely crafted patterns (yotsu-hana-bishi) on the garments reference the family crests of the actor dynasties – another detail showcasing the richness and depth of this scene. It is precisely in these early Yakusha-e that we see why Hokusai was celebrated as a boundary-crosser even during his lifetime. He united the passion of theater with the precision of woodblock printing, giving the figures an almost cinematic presence. These woodblock prints are currently listed on Adachi Hanga Website: https://store.adachi-hanga.com/en/collections/ukiyoe_ser_hk01