当世好男子伝 花和尚魯智深に比す朝比奈藤兵衛 (The Tale of the Modern Good Man: Asahina Tobei Compared to the Flower Priest Lu Zhishen)

Form: Mokuhan print

Published: 1858

Artist: 豊国三代 (ToyokuniⅢ)

Notes: My first impression was that his facial expressions and makeup resembled those of a Kabuki actor, but his tattoos made him appear to be a member of the yakuza. The famous kabuki facial expression, “Nirami,” also made me think of him as a member of the yakuza. The colours that are used in this print are mainly red and blue, so the artist did not make the print colourful. This feature made me think of his two dimensions, Kabuki actor and yakuza member. A dark background makes the red colour vivid since the red colour in this print seems important.