The Actor Nakayama Kojuro VI as Chinzei Hachiro Tametomo Disguised as Lady Hotoke (Hotoke Gozen) in the Play Yukimotsu Take Furisode Genji, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1785 c. 1785

This woodblock print by Katsukawa Shunko, made in 1785, captures the actor Nakayama Kojuro VI in a theatrical role. The composition is dominated by vertical lines, from the figure to the bare tree branches behind, creating a sense of controlled elegance. The ochre ground emphasizes the figure’s elaborate costume, rich with geometric patterns. Notice how the interplay of line and shape constructs meaning. The figure is presented in drag, which destabilizes traditional gender roles. This piece doesn't simply represent an actor but questions fixed identities. The art is a site of semiotic play where an actor embodies different cultural signs in a complex commentary on gender, identity, and representation. Observe how the patterns on the kimono and umbrella function not just aesthetically but as cultural codes. The work challenges rigid views, inviting us to reconsider performance, identity, and the fluidity of social roles.