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Toyohara Kunichika

Nakamura Sōjūrō I as Sano Genzaemon

1885
Color woodblock print; ōban triptych
73 × 36.8 cm (28.7 × 14.5 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This scene comes from a Kabuki tale set in the Kamakura period (1192–1333). Featuring murder, revenge, and retribution, the plot revolves around the conflict between a samurai named Sano Genzaemon and the government of the time. Here we see Sano Genzaemon standing on a veranda at night with the sea in the background. He has drawn one of his swords as he tries to protect himself against an unseen and unknown assailant.

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