Sawamura Sojuro III as Enya Hangan in Kanadehon Chushingura
1795
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1795
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This painting shows a man dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, holding a sword in his right hand. He wears a kimono with a pattern of white swirls on a brown background, paired with a matching obi and a sword at his side. The man's hair is styled in a top knot, and he has a serious expression. The man is depicted in a formal pose, with his weight shifted onto one leg and his other leg slightly bent. His facial expression is stern, and his eyes seem to be gazing into the distance. The overall effect is one of dignity and gravity. The artist, Katsukawa Shunei, was a Japanese painter who worked in the Romanticism movement. To learn more about this style, look up Romanticism.
