Which ukiyo-e artist created the 1794–1795 actor portraits now called the Ōkubi-e masterpieces?

Tōshūsai Sharaku created the striking actor portraits produced in 1794 and 1795 that are often identified with the great Ōkubi-e masterpieces. Ōkubi-e means “large-head pictures,” a format that concentrates attention on the performer’s face and upper body.

Sharaku’s portraits are known for intense expressions and individualized features. Rather than presenting every actor as conventionally handsome, he often emphasized facial structure, tension, and theatrical character. The prints were published by Tsutaya Jūsaburō during a remarkably short career.

Sharaku’s identity remains uncertain because the artist disappeared from the record after roughly ten months of activity. That mystery has encouraged speculation, but the secure historical fact is that his signed actor prints appeared in Edo during 1794 and 1795.