Matsusuke Onoe I as Matsushita Mikinoshinn 1794

Tōshūsai Sharaku created this woodblock print of Matsusuke Onoe I as Matsushita Mikinoshinn in Japan around 1794. Sharaku was known for his portraits of Kabuki actors. Here, Matsusuke Onoe is captured in character, his features exaggerated and stylized according to the conventions of the Ukiyo-e style. Woodblock prints like this one were not simply commercial products; they played a crucial role in shaping public perceptions of actors and plays. Kabuki was a popular, but sometimes controversial, form of entertainment in Japan during this time, and the actors themselves were celebrities. The prints were often produced and distributed by publishers who had close ties to the theater world. Understanding the complex relationships between artists, publishers, actors, and audiences can help us to appreciate how art was used to create meaning in a specific historical context. To fully appreciate prints like this, we can also study theater ephemera, playbills, and other historical documents. It is through such methods that we come to understand the social and institutional context that made it possible.