The Actor Nakamura Tomijuro I as Takenuki Goro in the Play Eho Soga Nen-nen-goyomi, Performed at the Morita Theater in the First Month, 1771
c. 1771
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban
Dimensions
28.7 × 13.9 cm (11 1/4 × 5 5/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
31990
Art Historical Context
Behold the vibrant world of 18th-century Japanese kabuki theater in Katsukawa Shunsho's *The Actor Nakamura Tomijuro as Takenuki Goro the Play Eho S Nen-nen-goyomi*. Created around 1771 and performed at the esteemed Morita Theater in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) during the first lunar month, this print captures the onnagata star Nakamura Tomijuro I his role as the loyal warrior Takenuki Goro. Shun, a leading figure in the ukiyo-e tradition of "pictures of the floating world," specialized in yakusha-e—dynamic portraits of kabuki actors that brought the drama of live performances to everyday viewers. ...