歌川国升画 五代目市川海老蔵 「熊谷次郎直実」|Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Ebizō V as Kumagai Jirō Naozane
ca. 1849
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Vertical ōban; Image: 15 1/4 × 10 in. (38.7 × 25.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, in honor of James C. Y. Watt, 2011
Accession Number
2011.144
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of 19th-century Japanese theater, Utagawaimasu captures the intensity of Kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizō V the role of Kumagai Jirō Naozane in this striking woodblock print from around 1849. Produced during the Edo period (1615–1868), the vertical ōban format—measuring about 15¼ × 10 inches—allowed for dramatic close-ups that brought actors' expressive faces and elaborate costumes to life, making these prints affordable souvenirs for theatergoers. Kunimasu, a member of the influential Utagawa school, specialized in yakusha-e, or actor portraits, blending meticulous line work w...
About the Artist
Utagawa Kunimasu
Utagawa Kunimasu was a prominent ukiyo-e designer and teacher active in Osaka during the late Edo period, whose greatest artistic achievement was advancing the mature Osaka style of ōkubi-e (actor bust portraits) in the chūban format. A moneyed property owner who enjoyed considerable financial freedom, Kunimasu used his resources to promote ukiyo-e and its producers within Osaka, becoming an influ...