Kohada Koheiji, from the series "One Hundred Ghost Tales (Hyaku monogatari)"
This frightening print illustrates the story of Kohada Koheiji, a Kabuki actor who was drowned by his wife’s lover but later came back to haunt the couple. The tale was popular in the 18th century, eventually inspiring a novel and several Kabuki plays. Here, the skeletal ghost of Kohada Koheiji pulls down the mosquito net and eerily peers at the sleeping couple in their bed.
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Dimensions
- 25.6 × 18.1 cm (10 1/8 × 7 3/16 in.)
- Origin
- Japan
- Department
- Arts of Asia
- Holding institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image provider
- art-institute-chicago
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Clarence Buckingham Collection
Art Genome Taxonomy
11 tags
Subject Matter
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Grotesque Visual · 97%
The image presents a frightening, bodily distorted apparition with exposed bones, an enlarged skull, and exaggerated facial features.
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Mortality Both · 98%
The visible skeleton and the catalog’s account of a drowned actor returning as a ghost make death and posthumous existence central to the subject.
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Mysticism, Shamanism, and the Occult Metadata · 99%
The museum identifies the image as an illustration of a popular ghost story and places it within One Hundred Ghost Tales.
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Implied Narrative Both · 96%
The apparition pulling down the mosquito net constitutes a clearly staged story moment, while the catalog supplies the narrative of Kohada Koheiji haunting the couple who caused his death.
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Performing Arts Metadata · 84%
Kohada Koheiji is identified in the museum record as a Kabuki actor; the story also later inspired Kabuki plays.
Visual Qualities
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Dark Colors Visual · 95%
Dark blue-green and black fields occupy much of the image, contrasted with muted red, tan, ocher, and pale bone tones.
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Highly Detailed Visual · 91%
Fine contouring and numerous small marks describe the hair, facial features, bones, netting, and patterned red borders.
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Asymmetrical Visual · 91%
The oversized apparition and sweeping net are distributed unevenly across the picture, producing a pronounced asymmetrical composition.
Medium and Techniques
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Prints Metadata · 100%
The Art Institute of Chicago classifies the work as a color woodblock print and print.
Time Periods
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19th Century Art Metadata · 100%
The work is dated 1831–32, placing it in the nineteenth century.
Geographic Regions
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Japanese Art Metadata · 100%
The museum record identifies Japan as the place of origin and describes the work as Japanese in culture or style.
Source & rights
Katsushika Hokusai. Kohada Koheiji, from the series "One Hundred Ghost Tales (Hyaku monogatari)". The Art Institute of Chicago.