1834
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Untitled is a 1834 ink by Shunbaisai Hokuei 春梅斎北英, a Romanticism work, depicting Actor, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This image shows a person dressed in bright, patterned robes with bold blue, red, and gold designs. Their face is painted with heavy makeup—white skin, black eyebrows, red lips, and a fierce expression. One hand is raised, holding something small, while the other rests on their hip. The background is plain, keeping focus on the figure. The makeup and pose suggest this is a portrait of a theater performer, likely from a traditional Japanese stage. The colors and patterns on the robes are typical of costumes used in performances. Next, look up actor, portrait to see how performers were depicted in art.
Hokuei spent his life in Osaka, a busy port city where art and theater mixed like ink in water.
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