Portrait of Arashi Kichizaburō III (1810–1864) in the Role of Baiōmaru
ca. 1840
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Vertical ōban; Image: 14 3/4 × 10 1/4 in. (37.5 × 26 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Arnold Weinstein Gift, 2001
Accession Number
2001.715.13
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking woodblock print by Uawa Kunisada captures celebrated kabuki actorashi Kichizabō III in the of Baiōmaru 1840. Kunisada, one of the most prolific masters of the ukiyo-e tradition during Japan’s Edo period, specialized in dynamic portraits of actors that brought the excitement of the theater into everyday homes. The vertical ōban format allowed for dramatic full-body or three-quarter views, emphasizing the expressive poses and elaborate costumes that defined kabuki performances. Created during a golden age of Japanese culture, such prints served as both souvenirs and celebrity imag...
About the Artist
Utagawa Kunisada · 1786–1864
**Utagawa Kunisada (1786–1865)** Born in 1786 in the Honjo district of Edo (modern Tokyo), Utagawa Kunisada hailed from a family with a hereditary ferry-boat service that provided financial stability, allowing him to pursue art from a young age. His father, an amateur poet of note, died shortly after his birth, leaving young Sumida Shōgorō (Kunisada's childhood name) to nurture his evident talent...