The actor Kataoka Nizaemon Vll as Iyo no Taro in the play "Seiwa Nidai Oyose Genji," performed at the Miyako Theater in the eleventh month, 1796
1796
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
35.2 × 25.2 cm (13 7/8 × 9 13/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
32614
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th Japanese theater with Utagawa Kunimasa *The Actor Kataoka Nizaemon as Iyo no Taro in the Play "Seiwa Nidaiose Genji,"* in 1796. This striking color woodblock print captures the celebrated kabuki actor in a dynamic pose from a performance at Kyoto's Miyako Theater during the eleventh lunar month. Kunimasa a master of the Utagawa within the ukiyo-e—"pictures of the floating world"—specialized in yakusha-e, or actor portraits, that immortalized the era's theatrical superstars for everyday fans. Printed on oban-sized paper (35.2 × 25.2 cm), this work exemplifie...
About the Artist
Utagawa Kunimasa · 1773–1810
Utagawa Kunimasa (1773–1810) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist specializing in yakusha-e, or Kabuki actor prints, during the late Edo period. Born in Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture in 1773, Kunimasa initially worked in a local dye factory for several years before pursuing his true passion. As an ardent Kabuki theatre enthusiast, he relocated to Edo (modern Tokyo) to establish himself as an artist capable ...