The Actor Nakamura Utaemon I as Monk Seigen of Kiyomizu Temple in the Play Soga Moyo Aigo no Wakamatsu, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Third Month, 1769

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Japanese theater with Katsukawa Shunsho's *The Actor Nakamura Utaemon as Monk Seigen ofomizu Temple in the Soga Moyo Aigo no Wakamatsu*. Created around 1769, this color woodblock print captures the star kabuki performer in his dramatic role during a production at the famed Nakamura Theater in Edo (modern Tokyo). The narrow hosoban format—measuring just 31 × 14.9 cm—makes it a compact yet striking souvenir, perfectly sized for fans to collect and display. Shunsho, a leading figure in the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") tradition, excelled ...