Actor Ôtani Hiroji III Possibly as Akaneya Hanshichi in “Snow on Mt. Fuji: The Soga Vendetta” (“Fuji no yuki kaikei Soga”)
About 1770
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban
Dimensions
31.5 × 15.2 cm (12 3/8 × 6 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
31758
Art Historical Context
This vibrant color woodblock print by Katsukawa Shunshō captures the dynamic world of Edo-period kabuki theater around 1770. Shunshō, a leading artist of the Katsukawa school, specialized in yakusha-e, or actor portraits, which brought the excitement of live performances to a wider audience through affordable prints. The narrow hosoban format was especially suited for full-length depictions of performers, allowing viewers to appreciate the actor’s pose, costume, and expression in a single, elongated composition. The subject portrays Ōtani Hiroji III in the role of Akaneya Hanshichi from the k...