勝川春好画 七代目片岡仁左衛門 五代目市川團十郎|Kabuki Actor Kataoka Nizaemon VII
ca. 1788–90
Medium
One of a diptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 12 13/16 in. (32.5 cm); W. 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
JP1345
Tags
Art Historical Context
This woodblock print by Katsukawa Shunkō captures the dynamic presence of Kataoka Nizaemon VII, a celebrated kab actor of Japan’s Edo. Created around 1788–90 as one half of a diptych, it pairs with a portrait of Ichikawa Danjūrō V, reflecting the era’s fascination with star performers. Shunkō, a leading figure in the Katsukawa school, specialized in yakusha-e—actor prints that brought the excitement of the theater into everyday life through bold lines and expressive poses. During the Edo period, ukiyo-e prints like this one served as affordable souvenirs and celebrity portraits, much like mod...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shunkō
Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist who pioneered the ōkubi-e (large-head) portrait format in kabuki actor prints and served as possibly the first student of Katsukawa Shunshō, the founder of the influential Katsukawa school. Born in 1743, Shunkō spent his entire life in Edo (modern Tokyo), working as both a painter and ukiyo-e printmaker specializing in yakusha-e (actor p...