The Actor Nakamura Tomijuro as Bijomaru in the Drama "Kikujido" Shuen no Iwaya"
ca. 1773
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 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
JP910
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the dazzling world of Edo-period kabuki theater with Katsukawa Shunkō'sblock print *The Actor Nakamura Tomij as Bijomaru in Drama "Kikuj" Shuen no Iwaya"* (ca. 1773). Shunkō, a leading ukiyo-e artist renowned for his yakusha-e (actor portraits captures the star power of Nakamura Tomijuro I, one of kabuki's most celebrated onnagata (female impersonators), in the role of the dramatic Bijomaru. Created during Japan's vibrant Edo period (1615–1868), this print reflects the "floating world" culture of urban entertainment, where theater icons like Tomijuro were idolized akin to modern cele...
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...