Kuniyoshi 国芳: Original Preparatory Drawing of Two Men Plotting, One Man Eavesdropping

Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) Title: Original Preparatory Drawing of Two Men Plotting, One Man Eavesdropping Date: ca. late 1840s Two men seem to be plotting something exciting, their supposedly secret conversation being eavesdropped by a third man at upper right, who listens with interest. The man in the window may be Ichimura Uzaemon XII. This is probably a scene from kabuki, but the exact scene is difficult to pinpoint. Kuniyoshi could draw figures fully clothed in any position with ease; here he has corrected the position of the right arm of the man at left, who seems to be carrying a travel pouch of some kind on his back. The garment of the man at right has been modified to have longer sleeves. Kuniyoshi would begin his ideas for a print with drawings that were rather rough, and would make more important corrections with a pasted-on piece of paper. It seems as though there was a correction here that is no longer with the drawing, and the figure at left may be receiving a p