Portrait of Ōzora Buzaemon

大空武左衛門像

1827

Watanabe Kazan 渡辺崋山

(Japanese, 1793–1841)

Culture

Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

Medium

hanging scroll; ink and color on paper

Measurements

Image: 221.8 x 117.8 cm (87 5/16 x 46 3/8 in.); Overall: 256.8 x 131 cm (101 1/8 x 51 9/16 in.); with knobs: 256.8 x 140.5 cm (101 1/8 x 55 5/16 in.)

Credit Line

Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 1980.177

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Watanabe Kazan was interested in Rangaku (Dutch Learning).

Description

Over seven feet tall, Ōzora Buzaemon became a tabloid sensation when he arrived in Edo (Tokyo) in 1827 . His handprints were cherished souvenirs, and his image was sold on woodblock prints. As inscriptions on the scroll detail, Watanabe Kazan met Buzaemon at the residence of a noted Confucian scholar. Using a camera obscura–type device—a tool that uses light to project an image onto a surface—he made this preliminary drawing for a painting. The portrayal depicts Buzaemon’s discomfort in being stared at.