[Who is Sharaku?] Ⅴ Analysis of the method of composition can solve many art problems Shunro drew Shraku's picture

Last time I  showed that Sharaku and Hokusai used the same technique to depict a  face.
The problem is that the pictures I compared were executed at different time: Sharaku's okubi-e in 1794 and Hokusai manga in 1812.
The two artists could master the same technique if time is ripe: it happened in the case of Picasso and Matisse after Cezanne, which I called Arc-ism.
It is human nature that when a painter draws the same shape repeatedly he becomes conscious of the curvature of  line and the line becomes a chain of arcs, which is easily seen in the transition of Matisse's DanceⅠto DanceⅡ．
To eliminate the possibility that Sharaku developed the technique first then Hokusai followed, it is ideal to show that Hokusai used Sharaku's technique just before becoming Sharaku.

     Shunro   Sharaku   Sori   Kako
I picked Hokusai's four pictures executed before and after the time of Sharaku.
These works are all made of smooth curves.
Well known Japanese art historian Tanaka Hidemichi wrote,"When Sharaku changed his name to Tawaraya Souri then to Kako, he stopped drawing a picture of Kabuki actors and started drawing a picture of beauties."
The picture on the right is signed as Kako but the style had been already established when Hokusai called himself Sori.
Likewise Sharaku's drawing technique must have been perfect when Hokusai was Shunro.
Disapointingly I could not find any okubi-e by late Shunro but I found his sumo-e under the influence of Sotatu.
I have no document what Hokusai learned from his new master (Sotatu of the second).
So I start from the circle-arc model of Sotatu's famous painting: [Hakuzouzu (White Elephant)],
(Circle-arc means that arcs which are the parts of the same circle.)

                                     Tawaraya Sotatu  [Hakuzouzu]  Yogenin

It is obvious that Sotatu was aware that curve is made of arcs.
The top of the shape is most eye-catching arc, which is colored red.
Now we can see that the top, the belly and the trunk are the same red.
On both sides the red top arc is followed  by the light green arcs then yellow arcs.
And, on the left, followed further by light green arcs.
The arcs as the smallest units are consciously constructed.
Late Shunro(Hokusai) realised the effect of arcs in Sotatu's woorks and experimented to draw with arcs.
This sumo-e is a good example of the experiment.
Although the image has no information this work must have been executed at very late stage because the lines are, unlike Katsukawa school, almost made of arcs which shows the influence of Sotatu.

                                   Shunro  Sumo-e
The light blue arcs are dominant. which is effective  to make the body shape solid and harmonious.
And many light green arcs are intentionaly used both for the body joints and the sumo wrestler's belt ornament.

                                      Sharaku  [Otani Tokuji]
As Okubi-e is a portrait of a half of the body, the details are large enough to construct with arcs only, which is the reason why this style became purer art than the other types.
In the model hands looks like modern sculpture made of colored tubes.
Like Sotatu's elephant, the purple crown of the head is the most eye-catching part of the shape.
This circle-arc is used dominantly: the edges of shaven hair, cheek, the throat and the kimono edges; eleven as total.
The four light green arcs on the shoulder are grouped and corespond to the lower two.
The sleeve opening is solely made of orange circle-arcs.
Every part is so well planed that it is certain to say the  painter was  very experienced designer.
He constructed the picture with the arc units.
Most people appreciate his okubi-e as expressive portrait without noticing the effect of well structured form.

             Sori  [Osiokurihatoutuusennozu]
This seascape is far more interesting than famous [The great wave off Kanagawa] because of drawing method.
The largest boat in the middle is made of four types of circle-arc[orangish yellow, yellowish green, red and blue].
Each circle-arc is grouped harmoniously on different spots.
This intentional method may be called as grouped circle-arc method.
This method was also used in Sharaku style;
1) Korazo's kimono is very calmly harmonious because of the same large circle-arcs(red).
 2)The wrincles in the face of Miyakoza are dipicted like waves.

                                           Sharaku  [Korazo] and [Miyakoza]


When the same circle-arcs are used all over the total effect is hidden harmony and when they are grouped the effect is noticeably active .
This device can be found in Kako's painting of two beauties.

                                           Kako  [Huuryuunakutenanakuse]
The most distinctive lines are straight lines(yellow)of the umbrella and the telescope.
There are also very effective curved lines which are the arcs of the large circle(light green).
The bridge of nose of the left woman has the same curvature as the cheek on the right, the nape on the left and the collar on the lower left.
Likewise the bridge of the right woman has the same curvature as the left woman and this is the same as the cheek, the arms ,the sleeve  and collar of the left woman.



Around 1794 Hokusai tried various styles with the same inventive drawing method
,possibly using several prepared arc rulers.

                                   "Le musee imaginarie" by Andre Malraux/ neatly art
[Malraux's idea of an imaginary museum, a "museum without walls" (which he first announced in 1947), is a prescient manifest of the digital age that enacts the displacement of the physical art object and the museum by photographic reproduction.]


Inevitably we are soon having all the artworks as digital image,
then we will realise that the image is artwork, not the work itself.
It was cruicial for me to find the sumo-e by Shunro to write this blog. 


When we can see all the ukiyo-e works at hand it becomes clear for any viewer with good taste judgement that Sharaku's work is positioned neatly between Shunro's work and Sori's work.
Afterall Hokusai liked to change a name and the style very often.
(the reason why Sharaku's identity was unknown is explained very well in Tanaka Hidemichi's book [Sharaku is Hokusai].)


I expect that the analysis of method of composition of each work can solve many art problems like these;
1) what is the significance of (formal) modern art?
 2) what is Art ?

[Who is Sharaku?] Ⅳ Sharaku and Hokusai used the same method: twelve circle method

At first sight it is obvious that these faces are depicted in the same technique.
All the lines are constructed with clear curves.
The clear curve is a chain of arcs.
As an arc is a part of a circle the line can be quantified.
In this case the arc model is suitable for comparing.
Twelve circles are enough to reconstruct these drawings( the quater-circle model).
Counting all the arcs which belong to the same circle, the  list( the harmonious index) can be made.
It is easily noticed that some circles are used more to make the structure harmonious.

 I have already shown that the other Ukiyoe-artists like Toyokuni and Shunei used  straight lines and  curves for the contour of a face.
Besides it seems that they did not know the harmonious effect by  many arcs of the same curvature.
The number of the arcs which belongs to the same circle can be counted to make a list: the harmonious index.

The number of circles used for the first picture is twleve and the number for the second and the third is eleven.
So I call this method of drawing as twelve circle method( after the twelve tone method).
When an experienced  artist draws a curve he is conscious of its curvature.
So every part of any line becomes an arc.
The number of the  basic circles for the arcs becomes small because of our limited ability to distinguish curvature difference,
From the same reason the number of finger holes of ancient flute anywhere is limited.
Musical sounds are perceived as quanta, but only genius noticed that artwork has also basic units.
Though ornamental patterns are noticeably made of units they did not think that ornament and artworks are of the same genre.
Perception of shape is not analog but digital, which is a necessary condition to form the basic intelligence （visual grammar）.

The left illustration is a page of Hokusai Manga which was published in 1812.
And the right one is one of the most wellknown among Sharaku's prints:  the portrait of the Theater Manager named Shinozuka Urayemon.
Sharaku's technique is completely same as Hokusai's.
The  twelve circle method can be developed independently by geniuses like Picasso only after long experience.
But no amateur like Noh-actor Saito Jurobei can do.
Using the principle of Occam's Razor it is certain to say that Sharaku is Hokusai.
  (to be continued)

[Who is Sharaku?] Ⅲ Quantifiable elements for sense of harmony in Sharaku's artwork

There are people who believe that Sharaku was Utamaro.
Though I do not think so, it is interesting to see the formal difference of both.
Japanese comic artist Isinomori claims that Utamaro's hands are very much like Sharaku's ones.
I picked these images with hands because of high resolution.

Art is not communication from the artist but infomation on shape of artwork.
Seeing a painting as portrait makes hard to see it formally.
So I cut off the top half in order to consentrate to see the detail more precisely.

Now it is obvious that Sharaku's work is very decorative: every part is finished evenly.
He could not be a noh-actor but be an experienced artisan.
Obviously Sharaku was well aquainted with ornamental art like maki-e(Japanese lacquar art).
And he collaborated well with the printmakers.
This artist knew that ornamental art and painting are of the same genre.
The public failed to see the formal content because they appreciated it as symbol, which is the reason why some thought Sharaku's later styles are less significant.


On the other hand, the parts of Utamaro's prints are unevenly executed: the back ground is drawn with un-unified brush lines.
It seems that he was a typical painter enjoying sketching  and his drawing was handed over to the print maker group.
He must have annoyed the engraver.


The difference between Utamaro and Sharaku is quantifiable.
Curved line is expressive because we have ability to see the different degree of curvature on line.
A curve with even curvature is an arc.
And all the basic circles of the arcs can be arranged into concentric circles.
Making concentri circle model, we can check how many circles are used as the base of the arcs.
As each curvature of the arcs was drawn to look different, the base-circles in the model have enogh intervals.
When many arcs of the same circle are used we feel the sense of harmony, which is very well known device in decorative art and archtecture.
It can be said that all the arcs make a scale like tone scale.
The creation of tone scale was universal.
Likewise the use of arc-scale in artwork can be found any time, any where.
It seems to be human nature to draw with the scaled curves.
I took out only hand parts and, for each, I made the arc model, quater-circle model and the harmonious index.

The last illustration is very interesting because the arcs of the same circle are used for both the hand and the sword; the artist was aware of the use of unit.
When arcs are linked it is harder to recognize each arc, which is the reason why almost nobody but genius noticed that the smallest ellement of art is arc.
Nontheless the visual effect is evident for any viewer.


Now I introduce harmonious index made after the quater-circle model.

The first three rows are of Utamaro and the last two are of Sharaku.
A group of arcs of the same circle are counted and arranged in a row, the smallest circle on the left.


Both artist used small number of the basic circle.
The numbers on the yellow rectangles shows that Utamaro used more straight lines than Sharaku.
In Utamaro index,except the straight lines, 3 is the largest number, which means that the arcs of the same circle are used at most three times.
On the other hand in Sharaku index, the numbers are larger; 4, 5 6, 7 and 9 are seen, which makes Sharaku uniquely harmonious.
There is only one contemporary artist who used this harmonious device with arcs in Saraku's time.
Grammatically every work should be analyzed to establish real art theory.
Sharaku left more than hundred forty works and the artist thought to be Sharaku left ten thousand works.
There are numerous works which indicate they are the same artist.
  ( to be continued)

[Who is Sharaku?]Ⅱ Sequence of arcs in drawing makes unique artistic line

Each artist has his own unique drawing line which is due to different arc sequence of line.

                                          Toshusai Sharaku [Korazou]
In the prvious blog   I wrote that refined artworks like Ukiyo-e prints are very geometric: they are made of sequential arcs.
The scholar Umehara Takeshi has written about Sharaku's identity in the book [The tragidy of pseudonym].
He claims that Sharaku is Toyokuni.
He compared the portrait of Kabuki actor [korazou] by three artists, Sharaku, Toyokuni, Shunei.

                                        Korazou] by Sharaku, Toyokuni, Shunei
Umehara consideres  that Sharaku's and Toyokuni's parts ( the contour, eyeblows, eyes, nose, mouth and ears) are very much alike.
So I compare the three pictures each other on formal level.
As the role is defferent only the faces and the hands can be compared.
I enlarged the face part.
In each picture the outline from the chin to the ear is continuous.
Comparing the three outlines it is easily noticeable that Sharaku's line is very round.
I draw blue lines on the straight parts of each contour.

There are only four straight lines on Sharaku's outline.

Toyokuni used zigzag lines instead of a long arc.

Shunei tended to use straight lines and arcs almost evenly with able design skill.


As I found, this time,  better digital image of [Korazou] by Sharaku
I made again the circle model of the ears( though the other two are not good).

Amazingly the contour of the ear is based on three circles and a straight line.   
 The artist must have a geometric sprit.

Although Toyokuni's face line is as smooth as Sharaku's the outline of the ear is not sharp.
The chain of sevral straight lines can be made as a ideal model.

Shunei's ear is smooth.
The outline is based on nine circles.
What his work does not have is harmonious simplicity.


As the three pictures were drawn from the same angle, we can see each artist's formal difference comparatively.


We can easily distinguish the difference of melodies of Bach and Mozart.
But why they sound different can be explained with the help of  musical note.
So this time I use arc model.

Sharaku's neatly drawn line is smooth, and be seen as a sequence of arcs.
Sharaku's contour has eight arcs of the same circle, which is why Sharaku drawing is so harmonious.




"A", "S", "cl", "co", "C"; I use the first(and the second） letter of Arc, Straight line, clockwise , counterclockwise and Curve.
"clockwise and counterclockwise" means the turn of  arc in the circle when the direction(from the chin to the forehead) is given for explanation sake.
"Curve" means that the eyebrow is left undivided as too small to separate into arcs.
Starting from the lower part to the forehead the sequence is like this:

Toyokuni used four arcs of the same circle.
And he prefered to use zigzaged  lines to long arcs.

In the ARC sequence, the continuous S is noticeable.

Although Shunei was a very smart designer, he did not know the effectiveness of the use of arcs of the same circle.

Sharaku was not popular among the contemporary who wanted the idealised portraits of their favorite actors.
When, later, his okubi-e (portrait print showing the upper torso) were considered only as caricature, he became popular.
Many still consideres  the other types of his work minor and some even say that they are by the other painters.
Formaly every Sharaku work is interesting, which the models can confirm.


The method with the models is scientific because the hypthesis can be falsifiable by showing examples which does not match.
The problem [Who is sharaku?] can be restated as [Whose work can be well  modeled with arcs ?]

 (to be continued)