Second Yamashita Kinsaku as a Woman Standing in a Room

Art Historical Context

In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–8), Katsukawa Shunkō's *Second Yamashita Kinsaku as Woman Standing in a Room (ca. 1774) captures the theatrical glamour of Kabuki. This woodblock print features Yamashita Kinsaku II, celebrated male actor known as an *onnagata*—a specialist in female roles, a tradition born when women were banned from the stage in the early 17th century.unkō, a master of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") school and pupil of the famed Shunshō, excels in yakusha-e, or actor portraits, that immortalized stars like Kinsaku in dynamic poses. Printed in ink and color on paper in the narrow *hosoban* format (12 x 5 3/4 in.), this intimate scene shows the actor poised gracefully in a room, his elaborate costume and makeup blurring gender lines to evoke feminine elegance. Such prints were affordable souvenirs for theatergoers, fueling a booming popular culture amid urban prosperity in cities like Edo (modern Tokyo). Held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this work highlights woodblock printing's technical brilliance—precise carving and layering of colors—while reflecting Kabuki's cultural dominance. It offers a window into Japan's performative artistry, where men like Kinsaku embodied complex identities, delighting audiences for generations.

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...