1788
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
勝川春好画 三代目澤村宗十郎 三代目佐野川市松 |Kabuki Actors Sawamura Sōjūrō III and Sanogawa Ichimatsu III in "A Courtesan’s Mirror for the Eastern Provinces" (Keisei Azuma kagami) is a 1788 ink by Katsukawa Shunkō, a Romanticism work, depicting Actor, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This print shows two figures in bright, patterned robes. The person on the left holds a woven basket and wears a dark wig with a serious look. The person on the right stands with arms crossed, dressed in a red-and-gold kimono with a checkered sleeve. Both have bold makeup and stand against a plain background with a tree branch above them. The figures look like actors in a play, dressed for a specific role. Their outfits and poses suggest a story from theater, not everyday life. Next, look up actor to see how performers in traditional Japanese theater inspired art like this.
Katsukawa Shunkō spent his life in Edo, where crowded theaters and teahouses buzzed around him.
See the richer artist page
