The Actor Bando Mitsugoro as a Man in Sumptuous Raiment, Standing in a Field, Mount Fuji in the Background
ca. 1778
Medium
Diptych of woodblock prints (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm); W. 6 11/16 in. (17 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Estate of Samuel Isham, 1914
Accession Number
JP903
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking diptych by Katsukawa Shunshō captures the celebrated kabuki actor Bandō Mitsugorō in an elegant role, dressed in luxurious robes and posed against a serene landscape with Mount Fuji rising in the distance. Created around 1778 during Japan’s Edo period, the work exemplifies the vibrant world of ukiyo-e prints, which brought the excitement of the theater to a wide audience through affordable, colorful imagery. Shunshō, a leading figure in the Katsukawa school, specialized in actor portraits that emphasized realistic likenesses and expressive poses. Here, the diptych format allows ...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川春章 (Japanese) · 1726 –1792
Japanese, 1726–1792