Actor Ichikawa Danjūrō V as the Monk Wantetsu Possibly 1778

This is Actor Ichikawa Danjūrō V as the Monk Wantetsu, made by Katsukawa Shunsho sometime in the late 18th century. It's a woodblock print, a process where each color you see is carved into a separate block, inked, and then pressed onto paper. Consider the amount of labor involved. Someone had to design the image, transfer it, carve the blocks, and then print each impression. This wasn't just art; it was a whole industry. Woodblock prints like this one were relatively affordable, a form of mass media. They brought images of famous actors, like Ichikawa Danjūrō V, into the homes of ordinary people. The quality of line speaks to the carver’s skill, and the flat expanses of color suggest a kind of graphic sensibility. In this print, Shunsho has captured not just the actor's likeness, but also something of his dramatic persona. The woodblock medium, with its capacity for bold lines and flat colors, was perfectly suited to the task. Looking at this print, we can appreciate how materials, making, and context all come together to create meaning, blurring the lines between fine art and popular culture.