Ichikawa Yaozo II as Soga no Goro
1774
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1774
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This painting shows a man in elaborate, colorful theater clothes. He’s wearing a dark robe with bright red sleeves and a striped skirt. His face is painted white with bold black lines for eyes, and he holds a sword in one hand while his other arm rests on another figure’s back. Butterflies are scattered on his skirt, and his feet are bare. The man looks like a character from a play, frozen mid-action. The bold colors and dramatic pose suggest this is a portrait of an actor. Next, look up Katsukawa Shunshō to see more works by this artist.
