Kanshojo

This series is considered a masterpiece of Kunisada's theatrical portraits. He captured actors' movements in dramatic close-ups using delicate lines that express depth by varying width. Exaggerated eyeballs, influenced by his master, Toyokuni (1769-1825), enhance the graphic impact of the compositions. Only a small number of impressions may have been published, judging by the limited number of extant copies and the absence of late editions. The use of mica backgrounds indicates Kunisada's and the publisher's sensitivity to the popular mood, a nostalgia for earlier prints. The publisher, Kawaguchiya Uhei, may have sought to relate this series to the okubi-e of actors by Toshusai Sharaku (active 1794-95) by using this expensive technique. This nostalgia may also have influenced the choice of subject, actors famous for performances in the previous eight years.
Ichikawa Danjuro VII (1791-1859) plays the role of an exiled statesman pictured by Kunisada in the climax of the play. Learning that his rival, Fujiwara no Tokihira, has caused his fall at court and his exile, he transforms himself into a thunder god of revenge. In rage, his hair shaking wildly, his eyes exaggerated and glaring, he clenches a plum spray in his teeth, a motif associated with Sugawara no Michizane (845-903), the historical figure on whom the role is based.