The Third Otani Hiroemon as an Otokodate Seated Upon an Inverted Tub
1768 or 1769
Medium
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 7/16 x 5 1/2 in. (31.6 x 14 cm)
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
JP460
Tags
Art Historical Context
Katsukawa Shunshō's *The Third Otani Hiroemon as an Otokodate Seated Upon an Inverted Tub* (1768 or 1769) is a vibrant woodblock print from Japan's Edo period, capturing the swagger of kabuki actor Ōtani Hiroemon III in the role of an *otokodate*—a chivalrous street tough who defended the common folk against bullies. Perched confidently on an upturned wooden tub, Hiroemon embodies the larger-than-life heroism popular in urban theater culture, his dynamic pose and bold expression drawing viewers into the lively world of 18th-century Tokyo. As a master of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating ...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川春章 (Japanese) · 1726 –1792
Japanese, 1726–1792