4
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
勝川春好画 初代中村仲蔵|Kabuki Actor Nakamura Nakazō I is a 4 ink by Katsukawa Shunkō, a Romanticism work, depicting Actor, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This print shows a man in a long, flowing robe with bold red and gray patterns. He’s holding a pipe and looking off to the side, with a small figure—maybe a child—peeking out from behind him. The room has wooden panels, and his sandals and wrapped legs are clearly drawn. The artist used simple lines and flat colors to keep the focus on the actor’s pose and expression. This style was common in Japanese woodblock prints. Look up actor to see how theater roles shaped art in Japan.
Katsukawa Shunkō spent his life in Edo, where crowded theaters and teahouses buzzed around him.
See the richer artist page
