二代目嵐龍藏・三代目瀬川菊之丞|Kabuki Actors Arashi Ryūzō II and Segawa Kikunojō III

Art Historical Context

This woodblock print by Katsukawa Shunkō portrays two celebrated kabuki actors of the late eighteenth century: Arashi Ryūzō II and Segawa Kikunojō III. Created around 1790 during Japan’s Edo period, the image belongs to the genre of yakusha-e, or actor portraits, which captured the charisma of stage performers for an enthusiastic public. Shunkō, a leading artist of the Katsukawa school, specialized in such works, using expressive lines and subtle color to convey the distinctive features and personalities of his subjects. The medium itself—woodblock printing with ink and color on paper—allowed these images to be produced affordably and widely distributed, turning theater stars into household icons. Segawa Kikunojō III was an onnagata, a male actor renowned for his graceful portrayals of women, a convention central to kabuki’s stylized storytelling. The print’s modest vertical format suited it for display in homes or as a collectible souvenir, reflecting the vibrant urban culture that surrounded Edo’s thriving theaters. Today, the work offers a window into the interplay of performance, fashion, and popular art in pre-modern Japan. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1918, it preserves a moment when kabuki actors embodied both artistic ideals and the excitement of contemporary city life.

About the Artist

Katsukawa Shunkō · 1743–1812

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...