The Second Ichikawa Yaozo in the Role of Soga no Goro
2nd month, 1773
Medium
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Overall: 13 x 5 3/4in. (33 x 14.6cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1918
Accession Number
JP382
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan with Katsukawa Shunshō'sThe Second Ichikawa Yaozo the Role of Soga Goro* (1773), a stunning woodblock print from the Museum of Art. Thisishiki-e, or "brocade picture," captures the famed kabuki actor Ichikawazō II in the dramatic role of Soga no Gor, one of the vengeful Soga brothers from a beloved tale of loyalty and retribution. With intense gaze, flowing robes, and a weapon at the ready, the actor embodies the heroic warrior, frozen in a moment of theatrical power. Shunshō, a leading figure in the ukiyo-e tradition—"pictures of the floating w...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川春章 (Japanese) · 1726 –1792
Japanese, 1726–1792