Acteursportret met gedicht

About this artwork

blad: hoogte 391 mm x breedte 164 mm

Art Historical Context

"Acteursportret met gedicht" (Actor Portrait with Poem), created by Kitao Shigemasa in 1762, is a striking example of Edo-period Japanese woodblock printing. Shigemasa, a prominent ukiyo-e artist known for his refined lines and vibrant colors, captures the theatrical world in this vertical color woodcut measuring 391 mm high by 164 mm wide. This narrow, elongated format was ideal for displaying actor portraits, allowing them to be easily viewed or collected by fans. In the bustling culture of 18th-century Japan, ukiyo-e prints like this celebrated the "floating world" of kabuki theater, geisha, and urban pleasures. Actor portraits, or *yakusha-e*, immortalized stars in dramatic poses, often accompanied by poems that added poetic flair and personal commentary. Shigemasa's work reflects the era's obsession with celebrity culture, where prints served as affordable souvenirs, playbills, or status symbols for theatergoers. The color woodcut technique—carving multiple blocks for precise layering of pigments—demonstrates the technical mastery of Japanese printmakers. This method produced affordable, mass-reproducible art that democratized beauty, influencing global aesthetics centuries later, from Impressionism to modern design. A gem for ukiyo-e enthusiasts, it invites us to step into the lively kabuki scene of old Japan.

About the Artist

Kitao Shigemasa · 1739–1820

Kitao Shigemasa (1739–1820), born in the bustling Nihonbashi district of Edo (modern Tokyo), emerged as a pivotal figure in ukiyo-e woodblock printing during Japan's Edo period. The eldest son of the bookseller Suharaya Mohei—from a lineage of publishers—Shigemasa, originally named Kitabatake Tarōkichi, was immersed in the world of printing from youth. Largely self-taught, he later studied under t...