Art Institute of Chicago

Act 11, Part 1: The Approach to the Night Attack (Juichidanme ichi, yochi oshiyose), from the series "The Revenge of the Loyal Retainers (Chushingura)"

Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川 広重LinkedCulture matchlcp-732c025793de

Date

c. 1834/39

Medium

Color woodblock print; oban

Culture

Japan

Department

Arts of Asia

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Object ID

60390

The story of The Forty-seven Samurai is based on events that occurred at the beginning of the 18th century and is one of the longest plays in the Kabuki repertoire that is still performed. The drama recounts the death of Enya Hangan, who was forced to commit suicide by the evil Moronao, and the revenge sought by Hangan’s loyal retainers for their lord’s death. In the scene depicted here (which occurs toward the end of the play), the forty-seven loyal samurai are crossing Ryogoku Bridge on their way to Moronao’s mansion where they will eventually slay him. In the foreground, two of the samurai stand guard in a boat.

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