Act Ten: Amakawaya House from the play Kanadehon Chushingura
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
38.3 × 25.5 cm (15 1/8 × 10 1/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
29569
Art Historical Context
Step into the dramatic world of Edo-period Japan Katsukawa Shun'ei's *Act Ten: Amakawaya House from the playadehon Chushingura (1807), a color woodblock print in the oban format (38.3 × 25.5 cm). This striking yakusha-e, or actor print, captures a pivotal scene from the beloved kabuki play *Kanhon Chushingura*, iconic tale of the 47 ronin—loyal samurai who avenge their master's death. Shun'ei, a master of the Katsukawa school and pupil of Shunsho, expertly renders performers in dynamic poses amid the Amakawaya House setting, blending theater's intensity with everyday life. Produced during Jap...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shun'ei · 1762–1819
Katsukawa Shun'ei (1762–1819) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist who succeeded his master Katsukawa Shunshō as head of the Katsukawa school around 1800, continuing and advancing the school's innovations in kabuki actor portraiture. Born on December 13, 1762, into a landlord family with the surname Isoda, Shun'ei trained under Shunshō from his youth and became one of the most accomplished designers of y...