1832
ink
paper
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
Untitled is a 1832 ink by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, a Romanticism work, depicting Actor, held at Metropolitan Museum of Art.
This print shows a dramatic scene with four men in bold, colorful costumes. The man on the right wears striped armor and holds a sword, his face twisted in anger. Another man in black kneels, clutching his head like he’s in pain. Two others in the background sit calmly, watching. The background has a blue wall with gold writing and autumn leaves. The bright colors and strong emotions look like they’re pulled straight from a story. These prints were made using woodblocks, which is why the lines and colors are so sharp and clean. Look up actor to see how these prints connect to real theater performances.
Kuniyoshi grew up in old Tokyo when the city was still called Edo. His dad ran a silk shop, but Kuniyoshi loved anything with pictures—scrolls, screens, comic books. He talked his way into the Utagawa school, a kind of…
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