The Actor Nakayama Kumetaro II
1794
Medium
Left-hand sheet of a triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 3/4 x 5 31/32 in. (32.4 x 15.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Accession Number
JP2648
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), kabuki theater was a cultural phenomenon, and Tōūsai Sharaku its stars with unparalleled intensity. Created in 1794, *The Actor Nakayama Kumaro II* is the-hand sheet of a triptych woodblock print showcasing the renowned onnagata (female impersonator) in a dynamic pose. Sharaku, a mysterious artist active for just two years, produced about 150 such yakusha-e (actor prints), revolutionizing the ukiyo-e genre with his bold, unflinching portraits that pierced beyond the stage makeup to reveal the performer's psyche. Rendered in ink and color o...
About the Artist
Tōshūsai Sharaku · 1794–1795
Tōshūsai Sharaku stands as one of the most enigmatic figures in Japanese art history, a ukiyo-e printmaker whose brilliant career blazed for just ten months from the summer of 1794 to early spring 1795. Active exclusively in Edo (modern Tokyo), he produced approximately 150 woodblock prints and sketches, primarily yakusha-e—intimate portraits of kabuki actors captured mid-performance. Published by...