Only A Postcard, But Who's The Artist?

[Wouter]

Hi all,

 

Maybe this is a wild request, but I sincerely hope someone here will be able to help me out.

I found this old postcard and am mesmerised by the artistic quality of the image.

I practice Iaido and the image -in only a few simple lines-perfectly represents to me the total determination before a lethal cut.

Since it is a postcard and the image is so stunning, I'm supposing it is a reprint of a famous ukiyo-e?

So, if my assumptions are correct, I would love to find out more about the artist...

 

Looking forward to your replies

 

Wouter

[SteveM]

Postcard of the 20th century actor Chiezo KATAOKA. The little cartouche has the name Ken Kichi (Kenkichi?) in it. I presume that is the artist's name, but nothing shows up in Google. 

[Wouter]

Thank you, Steve.

It was a wild request and I am in awe for your knowledge and most obliged for your very swift reply.

This sheds a  whole new light on it, a whole new area to discover, but not changing the fact that I totally admire how the artist captured that expression.

Cheers

 

Wouter

[Bugyotsuji]

Nice little post card. A famous actor. Ran searches on both English and Japanese search engines, and came up with hundreds of pictures, but none that fitted exactly.

[ROKUJURO]

Wouter,

to my eyes this looks more as if the original was a painting and not a print.

Just my 2 ¥. 

[vajo]

Chiezo Kataoka in a unknown samurai movie.