Scene from a Drama
ca. 1744
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 1/8 x 5 1/2 in. (30.8 x 14 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
JP2641
Tags
Art Historical Context
Okumura Masanobu's *Scene from a Drama*ca. 1744) captures the vibrant world of Edo-period kabuki theater, a hallmark of Japan's urban culture during the prosperous Edo period (1615–1868). As a master of uki-e—"pictures of the floating world"—Masanobu specialized in yakusha-e, or actor prints, that immortalized star performers in dramatic poses. This woodblock print, measuring a compact 12 1/8 x 5 1/2 inches, likely depicts male actors (onnagata playing female roles were common) mid-performance, reflecting the era's obsession with theater as escapist entertainment for the merchant class. Print...
About the Artist
Okumura Masanobu · 1686–1764
Japanese, 1686–1764