三代目市川八百藏・初代目尾上松助・三代目澤村宗十郎|Kabuki Actors Ichikawa Yaozō III, Onoe Matsusuke I, and Sawamura Sōjūrō III
11
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
11
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dominant colour
三代目市川八百藏・初代目尾上松助・三代目澤村宗十郎|Kabuki Actors Ichikawa Yaozō III, Onoe Matsusuke I, and Sawamura Sōjūrō III is a 11 ink by Katsukawa Shunshō, a Romanticism work, depicting Actor, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This print shows three men in colorful stage costumes, each posing dramatically. The first wears a simple red-and-black outfit, the second holds a fan and a fan case while looking thoughtful, and the third stands in a bright, patterned robe with a sword at his side. Cherry blossoms float above them in all three panels, and the background is plain but for a few bushes. The middle figure’s hand rests on his head, suggesting a moment of hesitation or worry. These prints were made to advertise kabuki plays, so each pose hints at a character’s role. Next, look up actor to see how performers in Japanese theater used these prints.
Katsukawa Shunshō spent his life in Edo (now Tokyo), where the city’s teahouses and theaters buzzed with energy.
See the richer artist page
