The Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as the Courtesan Takamura of Onoteruya (?) in the Play Sugata no Hana Yuki no Kuromushi (?), Performed at the Ichimura Theater (?) in the Eleventh Month, 1776 (?)
c. 1776
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban; from a multisheet composition
Dimensions
31.8 × 15 cm (12 1/2 × 5 7/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
58911
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Edo theater with this striking color woodblock print by Katsukawa Shunkō a master of the ukiyo-e tradition Created around 1776, it captures kabuki actor Segawa Kikjo III in the role of the courtesan Takamura ofnoteruya, from play *Sugata no Hana Yuki no Kuromushi*, performed at the Ichimura Theater Shunkō, a leading figure in the Katsukawa school, specialized in yakusha-e—portraits of actors—that brought the drama of the stage to everyday viewers. This hosoban-format print, measuring a slender 31.8 × 15 cm, is part of a larger multisheet composition, designed to be assembled like a panoramic scene. The medium of color woodblock printing exemplifies Japanese ingenuity: artisans carved separate blocks for each color and layer, achieving rich hues and fine details that convey the actor's expressive pose, elaborate costume, and makeup. Such prints were affordable and widely circulated, democratizing access to kabuki's glamour. Culturally, the artwork highlights the onnagata tradition, where male actors like Kikunojo masterfully embodied female roles, blending artistry and illusion. As a snapshot of fleeting performances, it embodies ukiyo-e's "floating world" ethos—celebrating beauty, entertainment, and impermanence in Edo Japan. A gem from the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, it invites us to applaud the enduring allure of theater.
About the Artist
Katsukawa Shunkо̄ · 1743–1812
Katsukawa Shunkō I (1743–1812), born Denjiro Kiyokawa in Edo (modern Tokyo), emerged as a pivotal figure in ukiyo-e woodblock printing. His early life remains sparsely documented, but by the late 1760s, he had begun illustrating books such as *Talks about Debut Plays* (*Kaomise shibai banashi*, 1766). Shunkō studied under the master Katsukawa Shunshō, founder and leader of the Katsukawa school, an...