The Actor Ichikawa Monosuke II in the Role of Daito-no-miya Disguised as a Komuso
ca. 1772 (?)
Medium
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 x 5 3/4 in. (30.5 x 14.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Accession Number
JP2705
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868 Katsukawa Shunshō (1726–1792) captures the dramatic flair of kabuki theater in this woodblock print, *The Actor Ichikawa Monos II in the Role ofaito-no-miya Disised as a Komuso*, dated around 1772. Shunshō, a leading figure in the ukiyo-e traditionliterally "pictures of the floating world"—specialized in yakusha-e, or actor portraits, that brought the stage's energy to everyday viewers. Here, the famed actor Ichikawa Monosuke II embodies a noble figure from a kabuki play, disguised as a komusō, a wandering monk known for his distinctive baske...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川春章 (Japanese) · 1726 –1792
Japanese, 1726–1792