松本幸四郎|Matsumoto Koshiro IV as Tsurifune no Sabu
ca. 1796
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
10 3/4 x 5 3/4 in. (27.3 x 14.6 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
JP2571
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan with this striking woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai, the legendary artist behind *The Great Wave off Kanagawa*. Titled *Matsumoto Kōshirō IV as Tsurifune no Sabu* (ca. 1796), it captures the kabuki actor in a dynamic pose, sword at the ready, embodying the fierce character from the stage. This intimate *hosoban* format—measuring just 10¾ × 5¾ inches—hints at its design for personal collections, allowing fans to own a piece of theatrical glamour. Hokusai, then in his mid-30s and early in his prolific career, mastered ukiyo-e ("pictures of th...
About the Artist
Katsushika Hokusai · 1760–1849
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) stands as one of history's most influential artists, a Japanese master who revolutionized the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and profoundly shaped Western art. Born in the Katsushika district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to an artisan family, Hokusai lived through nearly nine decades of extraordinary creative evolution, adopting over thirty different artistic names t...