Catalog record · 目録番号 67036
The Wrestling Bout (Parody of Ushiwakamaru and Benkei)
Catalog note / 解説
Harunobu is well known for his charming domestic portrayals. At first glance, this print seems to depict just such a scene, but scholars have suggested that this is in fact a parody of Yoshitsune and Benkei's fateful fight in Kyoto (see Ushiwakamaru and Benkei and Gojö Bridge in Kyoto where Benkei Killed a Thousand People on display nearby). Parody was a central feature of Edo culture, and although Benkei as a character in drama, literature and art was frequently used to satirize the samurai, he was not immune from being a target of that parody himself. In this example of mitate, or parody through intentional visual confusion, a fight between two children is purposely "confused" with the fi…
Image record / 画像情報
AIC · c. 1767 · aic
The catalog page is text-only. The reviewed image is available in the Ukiyo-e app for iPhone and iPad.