初代市川 男女蔵の桃井若狭之助|The Actor Ichikawa Omezō I as the Young Daimyo Momonoi Wakasanosuke

Art Historical Context

This striking woodblock print by Katsukawa Shun'ei captures Ichikawa Omezō I in the role of the young daimyo Momonoi Wakasanosuke, a character from a popular kabuki drama. Created in 1795 during the Edo period, the image belongs to the vibrant tradition of yakusha-e, or actor portraits, which celebrated the stars of Japan’s thriving theater scene. Shun'ei, a leading artist of the Katsukawa school, specialized in dynamic likenesses that conveyed both the actor’s distinctive features and the intensity of his stage persona. The print exemplifies nishiki-e, the full-color woodblock technique that revolutionized Japanese printmaking in the late eighteenth century. Layers of ink and color were applied through multiple carved blocks, allowing for rich costumes, expressive faces, and dramatic details like the sword at the actor’s side. Such prints functioned much like modern celebrity posters, offering affordable souvenirs that connected a broad urban audience to the glamour of the kabuki stage. Today, this impression in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection preserves a vivid moment from Edo-period entertainment culture, reminding us how art and performance intertwined in daily life.

About the Artist

Katsukawa Shun'ei 勝川春英 (Japanese) · 1762 –1819

Japanese, 1762–1819