print, ink, woodblock-print
asian-art
ukiyo-e
figuration
ink
woodblock-print
genre-painting
Dimensions 12 9/16 × 5 15/16 in. (31.9 × 15.1 cm) (image, sheet, hosoban)
This woodblock print by Katsukawa Shunsho depicts the actors Sawamura Sōjūrō II and Ōtani Hiroji III, and was made in Japan in the late 18th century. The print belongs to the ukiyo-e tradition, which flourished in the Edo period. Ukiyo-e prints such as this one often depicted scenes from popular culture, including kabuki theatre. Kabuki was not only a theatrical form, but also a social event. Prints of actors, like those displayed here, served to amplify the actors fame. The art of ukiyo-e was tied to the rise of a new urban middle class, and prints were often made available at affordable prices, creating a new audience for art. The study of these prints is a fascinating area of research that involves the close analysis of social history and popular culture.
Comments
This print depicts a scene from a Kabuki play performed in 1768. The plot is based on a folktale about an old woman who lived in an isolated house. She kindly offers lost travelers a place to rest, but murders them in the night. Sawamura Sōjñrō II is shown playing the role of the evil old woman, who grabs the topknot of a warrior, played by Ōtani Hiroji III. With his sword unsheathed, the warrior tries to defend himself from her unexpected attack. Sōjñrō II, who was tall and graceful, did not typically play old women. Nonetheless, as described here by Shunshō with contorted arms and disheveled hair, he played the role to terrifying effect.
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