The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V, Attired in Voluminous Ceremonial Trousers (Nagabakama)
1726–1792
Medium
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 3/4 x 6 in. (32.4 x 15.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Henry L. Phillips Collection, Bequest of Henry L. Phillips, 1939
Accession Number
JP2893
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Katsukawa Shunsh (1726–1792) captured the theatrical flair of kabuki with this striking woodblock print, *The Actor Ichikawa Danjō V, Attired in Voluminous Ceremonialrousers (Nagabakama)*. Shunshō, a founder of the influential Katsukawa school, excelled in yakusha-e—portraits of actors—that brought the drama of the stage to everyday viewers. Here, the legendary kabuki star Ichikawa Danjūrō V strikes a dynamic pose, his flowing nagabakama trousers billowing like dramatic waves, evoking the grandeur of classical Japanese theater roles. This ...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川春章 (Japanese) · 1726 –1792
Japanese, 1726–1792