De acteur Nakamura Ganjiro II in de rol van Kamiya Jihei 1952

This woodblock print of Nakamura Ganjiro II as Kamiya Jihei was made by Natori Shunsen, though the exact date is unknown. It's interesting to think about how the artist made this print, one layer at a time, carefully carving each block, a real labor of love and repetition. The texture in this piece is all about the subtle variations in the paper, like handmade art. The colors are muted, almost pastel, creating a gentle, melancholic mood. Look at the actor's face, especially the eyes. There's such a stillness, a contained emotion that pulls you in. And then, that almost imperceptible flush in his cheeks, it's like a fleeting moment of vulnerability. Shunsen’s work, like that of Utamaro before him, captures the essence of the subject. Both were masters of portraying actors and beautiful women, finding the universal in the particular. Art, after all, is an ongoing conversation, a back-and-forth between different voices and visions, where ambiguity and interpretation are always part of the fun.