The Actor Nakamura Nakazo as a Daimyo
ca. 1791
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 7/32 x 5 3/4 in. (31.1 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 Francis Lathrop Collection, Purchase, Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1911
Accession Number
JP712
Tags
Art Historical Context
This captivating woodblock print by Katsukawa Shunkō, created around 1791 during Japan’s Edo period, portrays the celebrated actor Nakamura Nakazo in the role of a daimyo, or feudal lord. The image highlights the dramatic presence of the performer, dressed in elaborate attire that conveys authority and elegance. Such actor portraits were immensely popular at the time, serving as both artistic tributes and affordable souvenirs for theater enthusiasts. The medium of woodblock printing, executed here in ink and color on paper, was central to Japanese visual culture in the Edo era. Artisans carve...
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...