Iwai Hanshirō IV
ca. 1780
Medium
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
11 3/4 x 5 1/2 in. (29.8 x 14 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Accession Number
JP2697
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the lively world of 18th-century Japanese theater, Katsukawa Shunshō'sblock print *Iwai Hanshirō IV* (ca. 1780) captures the charisma of one of kabuki's celebrated onnagata actors. Shunshō, a master of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") tradition and founder of the Katsukawa school specialized in yakusha-e—dynamic portraits of kabuki performers. This nishiki-e, or "brocade picture," showcases Iwai Hanshirō IV, renowned for his graceful female roles, likely posed with a fan, evoking the drama and elegance of the stage. Printed in vibrant inks and colors on paper using intricate ...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川春章 (Japanese) · 1726 –1792
Japanese, 1726–1792