Nakayama Tomisaburo in the role of An no Oyasu
2nd month, 1792
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 11/32 x 5 5/8 in. (31.4 x 14.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1918
Accession Number
JP303
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking woodblock print captures the celebrated kabuki actor Nakayama Tomisaburo in the role of An no Oyasu, a dramatic figure from the Edo-period stage. Created by Katsukawa Shun'ei in the second month of 1792, the work belongs to the vibrant tradition of yakusha-e, or actor portraits, which flourished during Japan’s Edo period (1615–1868). Shun'ei, a leading artist of the Katsukawa school, specialized in dynamic depictions of performers that conveyed both their stage presence and distinctive personalities. Woodblock printing, the medium used here, allowed such images to be produced af...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英 (Japanese) · 1762 –1819
Japanese, 1762–1819