The Actor Nakamura Juzo II as Asahara Hachiro disguised as the servant of a princely family, from the play "Onna Aruji Hatsuyuki no Sekai," performed at the Morita Theater in the eleventh month, 1773
c. 1773
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban
Dimensions
31 × 14.1 cm (12 3/16 × 5 9/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
15757
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Actor Nakamura Juzo as Asahara Hach disguised as the servant of a princely family a vibrant color woodblock print by Katsukawa Shunsho, around 1773. This *yakusha-e* (actor) captures a scene from the Kabuki play *Onnauji Hatsuyuki noai*, performed at Edo's Morita Theater in eleventh lunar month. Shunsho, leading figure in the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") school, masterfully depicted kabuki star Nakamura Juzo II in his role as the disguised Asahara Hachiro, blending drama and disguise to reflect the theatrical intrigue of 18th-century Japan. Printed in the narrow *hos...