The Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as Osaku in the Play Sayo no Nakayama Hiiki no Tsurigane, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1790
c. 1790
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban
Dimensions
29.4 × 13.8 cm (11 9/16 × 5 7/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
22244
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan with Katsukawa Shun'ei's *The Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as Osaku in Play Sayo no Nak Hiiki no Tsurigane*, a color woodblock print from around 1790. This hosoban-format print—narrow at just 29.4 × 13.8 cm—captures the celebrated kabuki actor Segawa Kikunojo III in his role as Osaku during a performance at the Nakamura Theater in the eleventh month. Shun'ei, a master of the Katsukawa school within the ukiyo-e tradition, specialized in yakusha-e (actor prints), vividly portraying the stars of Japan's thriving theater scene. Ukiyo-e, meaning "pictures of the floating world," celebrated fleeting pleasures like kabuki drama, where male actors like Kikunojo III shone as onnagata—specialists in female roles. This print not only advertises the play but immortalizes Kikunojo's expressive pose and elaborate costume, reflecting the cultural obsession with theater celebrities. Produced through meticulous woodblock carving and hand-rubbing with water-based pigments, these affordable prints democratized art, bringing high drama into everyday homes. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia department, this intimate work exemplifies Shun'ei's dynamic style, blending bold lines and rich colors to convey emotion and movement. It's a window into 18th-century Tokyo's bustling entertainment district, where art and performance intertwined to capture the human spirit.
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shun'ei · 1762–1819
Katsukawa Shun'ei (1762–1819) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist who succeeded his master Katsukawa Shunshō as head of the Katsukawa school around 1800, continuing and advancing the school's innovations in kabuki actor portraiture. Born on December 13, 1762, into a landlord family with the surname Isoda, Shun'ei trained under Shunshō from his youth and became one of the most accomplished designers of y...