The Actor Danjuro as Shibaraku
18th–19th century
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
9 3/4 x 13 5/8 in. (24.8 x 34.6 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Annette Young, in memory of her brother, Innis Young, 1956
Accession Number
56.121.22
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Katsushika Hokusai captured the theatrical energy of kabuki with *The Actor Danjuro Shibaraku*. This-on-paper painting, measuring 9 3/4 x 13 5/8 inches, depicts the legendary actor Ichikawa Danjūrō the iconic Shibaraku role—a bombastic villain who dramatically interrupts plays with a bold entrance. Hokusai, a master of ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), immortalized kabuki stars like Danjūrō, reflecting the era's obsession with popular entertainment amid urban prosperity in Edo (modern Tokyo). Rendered in fluid ink strokes on pape...
About the Artist
Katsushika Hokusai · 1760–1849
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) stands as one of history's most influential artists, a Japanese master who revolutionized the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and profoundly shaped Western art. Born in the Katsushika district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to an artisan family, Hokusai lived through nearly nine decades of extraordinary creative evolution, adopting over thirty different artistic names t...