Onoe Matsusuke as a Man Standing on a Path through Rice Fields
ca. 1797
Medium
One sheet of a triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 1/2 x 5 2/3 in. (31.8 x 14.4 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
JP336
Tags
Art Historical Context
This captivating woodblock print by Katsukawa Shun'ei captures the renowned kabuki actor Onoe Matsusuke in a dramatic outdoor role, striding along a path through rice fields. Created around 1797 during Japan’s Edo period, the work is one sheet from a larger triptych, a format often used to convey sweeping scenes or sequential moments in a theatrical performance. Shun'ei, a leading figure in the Katsukawa school, specialized in actor portraits that brought the energy of the stage to everyday viewers. Woodblock printing was a revolutionary medium in Edo Japan, allowing artists to produce vibran...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英 (Japanese) · 1762 –1819
Japanese, 1762–1819