The Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as Okaru in the Play Kanadehon Chushingura, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Eighth Month, 1787
c. 1787
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban; left sheet of diptych (?)
Dimensions
32 × 14 cm (12 5/8 × 5 1/2 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
21949
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Japanese kabuki theater with this exquisite color woodblock print byukawa Shun'ei (1–1820), a leading figure in the ukiyo-e tradition. Titled *The Actor Segawa Kikjo III as Okaru the Play Kanadehon Chushingura, Performed at Morita Theater in the Month, 1787*, it captures the onnagata (female role specialist) Segawa Kikuno III in his iconic portrayal of the loyal wife Okaru from the beloved drama *Kanadehon Chushingura*—a tale of samurai vengeance inspired by real events involving the 47 ronin. Created around 1787, this hosoban (narrow format) print, ...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shun'ei · 1762–1819
Katsukawa Shun'ei (1762–1819) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist who succeeded his master Katsukawa Shunshō as head of the Katsukawa school around 1800, continuing and advancing the school's innovations in kabuki actor portraiture. Born on December 13, 1762, into a landlord family with the surname Isoda, Shun'ei trained under Shunshō from his youth and became one of the most accomplished designers of y...