Memorial Portrait of the Actor Iwai Hanshirō VI as Shinobu with Segawa Kikunoijō as Miyagino Possibly 1836

Editor: This print, a “Memorial Portrait of the Actor Iwai Hanshirō VI as Shinobu with Segawa Kikunojō as Miyagino”, potentially dating to 1836 and created by Utagawa Kunisada, really grabs your attention. The figure is striking, theatrical almost, and then there's this second face peering out from a circle... What's going on here? How do you interpret this work? Curator: It’s wonderful isn’t it? Kunisada here invites us into the floating world of Ukiyo-e and Kabuki theatre, but also, importantly, into a world marked by loss. As the title suggests, this print memorializes the actor Iwai Hanshirō VI. I see the actor as Shinobu in character but then echoed, as if in memory. That enclosed circular portrait represents a moment of clarity amidst ephemeral earthly performance. Notice how Shinobu’s gaze meets ours while the Miyagino within the circle glances askance, perhaps to the great beyond? Editor: I see what you mean; it’s like two planes of existence sharing one space. The vibrant figure stands against the flatness, which now seems less like empty space and more like a void. The colors really pop. How was this achieved with prints? Curator: Indeed. Ukiyo-e prints like this are actually woodblock prints, requiring incredible skill to carve separate blocks for each color and precisely layer them on paper. Kunisada wasn’t just memorializing a person but, in some ways, an entire tradition of theatrical arts. He almost makes me nostalgic for a time I never experienced. And you? Editor: That resonates; seeing it as memorial deepens its impact for me, a vibrant life briefly captured, fading but not quite gone. I learned so much about the subject, and technique. Thank you! Curator: The pleasure was entirely mine. The ability of art to touch different sensibilities and still bring together those different perspectives is a delightful journey of discovery for us all.