Actor Bandō Hikosaburō V as the Sumo Wrestler Onigatake Dōemon Possibly 1861

Curator: Oh, I am just taken with the drama of this piece! The somewhat harsh coloring really seems to fit with his hard expression. Editor: Well, that’s quite an image! What we're looking at is a woodblock print from around 1861, quite possibly, by Utagawa Kunisada. It’s titled “Actor Bando Hikosaburo V as the Sumo Wrestler Onigatake Demon” and resides here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Curator: So, he's playing a demon, huh? That explains the intensity! The artist's use of line is incredible too. Notice how thick and decisive they are, particularly around the eyes and hair. I see that intensity there, the strength needed to fight... or maybe the weight of expectations? Editor: Definitely. You have to understand, prints like this were often commissioned to commemorate specific performances or to popularize actors. Consider the star system of the time. These prints allowed audiences to keep their favorite stars in their homes! Kunisada masterfully blends caricature with respect. Curator: And that coloring I mentioned earlier, I mean, it really contributes to the overall effect, doesn’t it? That jarring red and teal, almost clashing, maybe mirroring the inner turmoil of the character? And the text! I find myself really drawn to the textual parts of the piece; how would a viewer from the time interpret the relationship between these parts? Editor: Absolutely. Color theory would have been different. But it does force your eyes toward key areas of the composition. The text would most likely have told you a lot about who is who in the picture, possibly information about where you could see a related performance or other details to contextualize this performer. This work sits at a real nexus of popular culture and high art. It feels strikingly modern, though, doesn't it? Curator: Yes, so modern. Thinking about this piece in our context today... there is a lot about gender, representation, performance, the male gaze, what is celebrated that begs the question; how has this image traveled through time, and how is it read now? Food for thought! Editor: Indeed!