The Actor Otani Hiroemon III as Shinoda Jirodayu in the Play Keisei Momiji no Uchikake, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Seventh Month, 1772
c. 1772
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban
Dimensions
33 × 15.3 cm (13 × 6 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
7598
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling world of 18th-century Edo theater withukawa Shunsho's *The Actor Otani Hiroemon as Shinoda Jirou in the Play Ke Momiji no Uchik*. Created around 1772, this color woodblock print captures the kabuki performer in a dramatic role from a production at the renowned Morita Theater during the seventh lunar month. Printed in the narrow *hosoban* format (33 × 15.3 cm), it was designed for affordability and easy distribution, allowing fans to own a piece of the spectacle. Shunsho, a leading figure in the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") movement, revolutionized *yakusha...