The Third Otani Hiroji as a Wrestler
ca. 1790
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
11 3/5 x 5 5/8 in. (29.5 x 14.3 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
JP285
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan, Katsukawa Shunkō's *The Third Otani Hiroji a Wrestler* (ca. 1790) captures the charisma of kabuki superstar Ōtani Hiroji III, depicted mid-action as a sumo wrestler. This wood print, a hallmark of ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), showcases Shunkō's mastery from the Katsukawa school, renowned for intimate yakusha-e portraits of. At just 11 3/5 x 5 5/8 inches, its compact ōban half-size format made it affordable for urban fans, who collected these as souvenirs of thrilling performances. Woodblock printing with ink and color on paper allowed f...
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shunkō
Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist who pioneered the ōkubi-e (large-head) portrait format in kabuki actor prints and served as possibly the first student of Katsukawa Shunshō, the founder of the influential Katsukawa school. Born in 1743, Shunkō spent his entire life in Edo (modern Tokyo), working as both a painter and ukiyo-e printmaker specializing in yakusha-e (actor p...