The Actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II as a Kyokaku
ca. 1777
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 12 7/8 in. (32.7 cm); W. 5 7/8 in. (14.9 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
JP911
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan with Katsukawa Shunkō'sThe Actor Ichikawa Monnos II as a Kyokaku* (ca. 177), a stunning woodblock print from thekiyo-e tradition. This narrow hosoban-format piece (12 7/8 x 5 7/8 in.) captures the kabuki star Ichikawa Monnosuke II in dynamic role of a *kyokaku*—a gallant, streetwise hero often depicted as a chivalrous gambler or protector of the weak. Shunkō, a leading figure in the Katsukawa school, masterfully renders Monnosuke's expressive face, flowing robes, and poised stance, bringing the theater's energy to life on paper. Produced during ...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shunkō
Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist who pioneered the ōkubi-e (large-head) portrait format in kabuki actor prints and served as possibly the first student of Katsukawa Shunshō, the founder of the influential Katsukawa school. Born in 1743, Shunkō spent his entire life in Edo (modern Tokyo), working as both a painter and ukiyo-e printmaker specializing in yakusha-e (actor p...