The World of Utamaro and Sharaku Spun by the Sei'ichiro Takahashi Ukiyo-e Collection

Did you know that Keio University houses as many as 1,500 ukiyo-e masterpieces? This collection, known as the "Sei'ichiro Takahashi Ukiyo-e Collection," was donated by Sei'ichiro Takahashi (1884–1982), an economist known for his research on mercantilist economics and a former student of Yukichi Fukuzawa. After the war, Takahashi served as the (Acting) President of Keio University, Minister of Education, and Director General of the Tokyo National Museum, and dedicated himself to the development of Japanese culture. He was also an outstanding ukiyo-e collector, beginning his collection in earnest during the late Taisho period. His systematic collection boasts a scope that provides a comprehensive overview of ukiyo-e history.

Starting June 3, 2025, the exhibition "Dreaming Utamaro, Mysterious Sharaku: Edo Sensations" will be held at the Keio Museum Commons (KeMCo). This is the second ukiyo-e exhibition at KeMCo, following the popular 2023 exhibition "Hokusai is Amazing! Kuniyoshi is Cool!!" This time, from the vast Takahashi Collection, the focus will be on two representative artists of the late Edo period: Kitagawa Utamaro (1753?–1806) and Toshusai Sharaku (1763–1820).

Utamaro studied under the Kano school artist Toriyama Sekien (1712–88) before becoming an independent ukiyo-e artist. During the Kansei era, he gained popularity for his "bijin okubi-e" (large-head portraits of beautiful women, pictured left), which boldly depicted the upper bodies of women. While Utamaro depicted feminine beauty with a delicate and observant eye, in his later years, his prints based on the Taikoki (Chronicles of the Taiko) violated the Shogunate's prohibitions, and he passed away shortly thereafter.

On the other hand, Sharaku was a mysterious artist who suddenly appeared in Kansei 6 (1794), and is believed to be the Noh actor Saito Jurobei of the Awa domain. The "yakusha okubi-e" (large-head portraits of actors, pictured right) published by Tsutaya Juzaburo (1750–97) of the publishing house Koshodo, sharply captured the individuality of Kabuki actors with exaggerated expressions, which was extremely innovative for the time. However, they were not accepted by the common people of Edo, who preferred beautified images of actors, and Sharaku's career ended after only ten months. Although he disappeared after leaving behind more than 140 works, his artistry was later highly acclaimed in Europe.

The person who introduced these two talents to the world was Tsutaya. In addition to materials such as "Yoshiwara Saiken" published by him, this exhibition will also display works by rival artists of the two. We hope you will enjoy these masterpieces from the exceptionally well-preserved Sei'ichiro Takahashi Collection at the venue. (Momoka Komatsu, Curator, Keio Museum Commons)