Imaginary portrait, Shuihuzhuan of Stage: Tōryūdai (Mitate Suikoden Tōrōdai) - Actor, Ichikawa Danjūrō plays as Sanjō
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
14 1/8 x 9 1/2 in. (35.9 x 24.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Lincoln Kirstein, 1960
Accession Number
JP3352
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking woodblock print by Toyohara Kunichika captures the celebrated kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō in the role of Sanjō, presented as an imaginary portrait from the classic Chinese novel Shuihuzhuan (Water Margin). Created in 1875 during Japan’s Meiji period, the work belongs to a series titled Mitate Suikoden Tōrōdai, which playfully reimagines characters from the epic tale through the lens of contemporary theater. Kunichika, a leading figure in late ukiyo-e, specialized in dynamic actor portraits that preserved the drama and charisma of the kabuki stage. The medium of woodblock print...
About the Artist
Toyohara Kunichika · 1835–1900
Japanese, 1835–1900