The Actor Onoe Matsusuke I as Retired Emperor Sutoku in the Play Kitekaeru Nishiki no Wakayaka, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1780

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Edo theater with Katsukawa Shunsho's *The Actor Onoe Matsus I as Retired Emperor Sutoku in the Play Kitekaeru Nishiki no Wakayaka*, created around 1780. This color woodblock print captures the kabuki performer in a dramatic role from a performance at the prestigious Nakamura Theater during the eleventh month. Shunsho a master of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), specialized in yakusha-e—intimate portraits of actors that the stage's energy to everyday collectors. Printed in the narrow hosoban format (32 × 14.8 cm), this work exemplifies the accessibility of ukiyo-e during Japan's Edo period (1603–1868). Hosoban prints were compact and affordable, often issued in series to document hit plays and star performers like Onoe Matsusuke I, whose expressive features and elaborate costume as the vengeful Retired Emperor Sutoku convey intense emotion and theatrical flair. Shunsho's innovative techniques, including precise line work and subtle color layering from multiple woodblocks, made his actor prints remarkably lifelike, elevating the genre. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia department, this piece offers a vivid glimpse into kabuki's cultural dominance, where actors were celebrities akin to modern idols. It highlights how woodblock prints democratized art, preserving fleeting performances for posterity.