The Actor Ichikawa Danzo IV Doing a Quick Change Between the Roles of Sadakuro and Yoichibei, in the Play Kanadehon Chushingura, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Third Month, 1781
c. 1781
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban
Dimensions
32.3 × 14.8 cm (12 11/16 × 5 13/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
31814
Art Historical Context
In this vibrant color woodblock print from around 1781, Katsukawa Shunsho captures a thrilling backstage moment from kabuki theater: the actor Ichikawa Danjūrō IV mid-quick change between the roles of the villainous Sadakurō and loyal Yoichibei in the beloved play *Kanadehonūshingura* (The Treasury of the Forty-Seven Loyal Retainers). Performed at the Morita Theater in Edo (modern Tokyo) during the third lunar month, the scene freezes Danjūrō in dynamic motion, half in one costume and half in another, highlighting the athleticism and skill required for such rapid transformations. Shunsho, a l...