Segawa Kikunojō III as Teruha

1778

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Segawa Kikunojō III as Teruha is a 1778 by Katsukawa Shunshō, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Katsukawa Shunshō
When & what style?: 1778 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This print shows a man in a red and white robe holding a rooster. His face is calm but serious. The background is plain, just a dark wash. He’s an onnagata—a man playing a woman’s role in Kabuki theater. In 1778, this actor, Segawa Kikunojō III, was famous for roles like this one. Look up Katsukawa Shunshō (Japanese, 1726–1792) to see more prints like this.

The story of this work

Overview

Men perform all the roles in Kabuki, a form of Japanese theater. Some actors specialize in onnagata (女形), or female roles. Segawa Kikunojō III was one of the most famous onnagata actors of his day. Here, he plays a character called Teruha in what was once the center print of a triptych (a composition of three prints). Teruha is officiating a wrestling match that also involves red and white roosters.

Read the full account in the museum source.