Actor Ichikawa Komazô III as Nyosan no Miya (The Third Princess), Ukare Zatô (A Blind Street Performer), and Sakata no Kaidô-maru in “Expanded Summer Festival” (“Zôho natsu matsuri”)
About 1791
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban
Dimensions
30.3 × 14 cm (11 15/16 × 5 1/2 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
32551
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan with this striking *hosoban* woodblock by Katsukawa Shun'ei, created around 1791. The artwork features celebrated kabuki actor Ichikawa Komazô in a dynamic triptych of roles from the play *Zôho natsu matsuri* ("Expanded Summer Festival the elegant Nyosan no Miya (The Princess), the mischievous Ukare Zatô (A Blind Street Performer), and the heroic Sakata no Kaidô-maru. At just 30.3 × 14 cm, its narrow format was perfect for affordable, collectible souvenirs sold near theaters, allowing fans to own a piece of the drama. Shun'ei, a master of the Ka...
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...