Memorial Portrait of the Actor Bandō Mitsugorō V Possibly 1831

Utagawa Kunisada’s woodblock print, "Memorial Portrait of the Actor Bandō Mitsugorō V," presents a figure draped in layered blue robes. The actor’s downcast eyes and the prayer beads in his hands instill a somber mood, amplified by the subtle gradations of the robes against the plain ground. The composition is divided vertically. The right side filled with the figure of the actor, and the left with Japanese calligraphy and a sprig of leaves. This arrangement invites contemplation on the relationship between image and text, representation and language. The actor’s robes, constructed with meticulous detail in the layering of the print blocks, possess a tactile quality. The lines both delineate form and flatten the figure, characteristic of ukiyo-e prints. Kunisada uses the language of form to elicit a deeper understanding of the ephemeral nature of life and performance. The layering and texturing of the image offer a meditation on loss and memory.