UTAMARO II, whose original name was Koikawa Shuncho or Harumachi, was a pupil of Sekiyen; he married Utamaro's widow, and from about 1808 to 1820 continued to produce prints in the debased Utamaro manner. Dr. Kurth believes he must be distinguished from another Koikawa Shuncho whose family name was Kurahashi, and who died in 1789. The whole matter is by no means clear. BANKI and SHIKIMARO were among the best of this group. Particularly the former, before Utamaro's death, produced some fine work. TAMAGAWA SHUCHO was a rare pupil of Utamaro who worked about 1790 to 1810. KIKUMARO I (who also called himself KITAGAWA TSUKIMARO), KIKUMARO II, TANIMOTO TSUKIMARO, TAKEMARO, TOYOMARO, YUKIMARO I, YUKIMARO II, YOSHIMARO I (also called KITAO SHIGEMASA III), YOSHIMARO II, REKESENTI SOGAKU, GOSHICHI, HIDEMARO, MITEMARO, MINEMARO, KITAMARO, MICHIMARO, TOSHIMARO, HANAMARO, ISOMARO, ASHIMARO, KANAMARO, KUNIMARO, YOSHIMUNE, YOSHITORA, YOSHITSUYA, YOSHIKI, YOSHIMORI, YOSHITOSHI, YOSHIKATA, YENCHO, YUMIAKI, HOKOKUJIN FUYO, CHIKANOBU, SHINTOKU, SHUNKIOSAI, HISANOBU, SORAKU, SENKA, RYUKOKU, SEKKYO, SEKICHO, SEKIHO, SEKIJO may all be classed as late followers, fellow-pupils, or rivals of Utamaro. BUNRO, some of whose work is fine, was a rare imitator of Utamaro. He worked chiefly about 1800 to 1810. SHARAKU. _Dramatic Portrait._ Whence art thou come, Tall figure clasping to thy tragic breast Thy orange robe, a flame amid the gloom-- By what wild doom Art thou forever onward--onward pressed? A wreath is on thy brow, A crown of leafage from some lonely haunt Where might Medea's shade brood ministrant. Thy shoulders bow Beneath what fearful weight, what need, what vow? A leopard fierce-- A ghost that wanders down the wandering wind-- A fury tracking toward some shaken mind-- Where shall I find The divination that thy veil shall pierce? How shall I wrest From thee the secret of thy lofty doom-- From what wild gulf of midnight thou dost come Who, with clutched breast, Stalkest forever onward--onward pressed? Few people approach Sharaku's work for the first time without regarding him as a repulsive charlatan, the creator of perversely and senselessly ugly portraits whose cross-eyes, impossible mouths, and snaky gestures have not the slightest claim to be called art. At first these strange pictures may even seem mirth-provoking to the spectator--a view of them which he will remember in later years with almost incredulous wonder. To overcome one's original feeling of repulsion may take a long time; but to every serious student of Japanese prints there comes at last a day when he sees these portraits with different eyes; and suddenly the consciousness is born in him that Sharaku stands on the highest level of genius, in a greatness unique, sublime, and appalling. [Illustration: TOSHIUSAI SHARAKU.]