Artwork
能面図・朝倉尉|Noh Mask of an Old Man (Asakurajō)
能面図・朝倉尉|Noh Mask of an Old Man (Asakurajō) is a paint painting by the Baroque artist Ogawa Haritsu. It dates from 1723 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The depiction centers on the human head, capturing the visage associated with the role of the elderly male character in the Noh tradition.
The work depicts the head of a man, specifically identified as the Noh mask character Asakurajō, an old man. Created in 1723, the piece functions as a portrait of this specific theatrical archetype. While the subject is a stylized representation of a human head intended for Noh theater, the artwork itself presents the figure as a distinct individual within the genre of portraiture.
The depiction centers on the human head, capturing the visage associated with the role of the elderly male character in the Noh tradition.
Technique & Style
The Noh mask titled 能面図・朝倉尉 (Noh Mask of an Old Man, Asakurajō) is a painted portrait of a male figure’s head, created in 1723 by Ogawa Haritsu (Ritsuō). It is constructed as a matted painting in which color is applied to a papier‑mâché relief that is affixed to a paper backing, giving the work a three‑dimensional surface. The piece belongs to the portrait genre within the corpus of Japanese paintings and is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Overview
Created by Ogawa Haritsu in 1723, Noh Mask of an Old Man (Asakurajō) is a matted painting that depicts a human head. This artwork utilizes color on papier-mâché in relief, set against a simple paper background. Rather than serving as a theatrical prop, Haritsu conceived this piece as a focused study of the distinctive forms and expressions found in traditional Noh theater masks.
Artist & collection
