The Actor Ichikawa Ebizo III as Matsuomaru in the play <em>Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy</em>

About this artwork

The kabuki play Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy (Sugawara denju tenarai kagami) relates the story of Sugawara no Michizane (845-903), a courtier and calligrapher who died in exile due to maneuvers by his enemies at court. Here the actor Ichikawa Ebizo III (formerly Ichikawa Danjuro IV, 1712-1778) plays Matsuomaru, a samurai attendant to Fujiwara no Tokijira (871-909), one of the courtiers who plotted against Michizane. With his features fixed in a menacing stare, the actor strikes a pose...

Art Historical Context

In the vibrant world of 18th-century Edo-period Japan, Katsukawa Shunko (1743–1812), a master of ukiyo-e—literally "pictures of the floating world"—captured the dramatic flair of kabuki theater in this striking portrait. Titled *The Actor Ichikawa Eb III as Matsuom in the play Sugawara and the of Calligraphy*, it the renowned actor (1712–1778, formerly Ichikawa Danjuro IV) in a tense confrontational pose. With a menacing stare, he embodies Matsuomaru, a loyal samurai attendant to Fujiwara no Tokijira, one of the scheming courtiers who exiled the legendary scholar Sugawara no Michizane (845–903). Shunko, celebrated for his yakusha-e (actor prints), highlights Ebizo's expressive features, courtier's hat, and tall umbrella sheathed in white, evoking the play's themes of betrayal and calligraphy secrets. This kakemono-style painting, possibly enhanced with lacquer for depth and shine, reflects ukiyo-e's focus on fleeting pleasures like theater, blending bold lines and vivid colors to immortalize star performers. A gift from collector Charles Lang Freer to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, it offers a window into Japan's cultural obsession with kabuki, where actors like Ebizo became larger-than-life icons, their poses (mie) freezing pivotal moments for audiences enthralled by moral dramas rooted in history.