Kantan, from the series "Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue)" 1898

Tsukioka Kôgyo made this woodblock print, Kantan, part of the series "Pictures of No Performances," sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The print depicts a scene from a Noh play, a highly stylized form of Japanese musical drama. We see actors in costume, with one asleep under a simple shelter, dreaming of future success. The "Pictures of No Performances" series was produced in a period of rapid modernization in Japan, as the country opened itself to Western influences. Kôgyo and other artists looked to preserve traditional art forms in the face of these changes. Consider how institutions like the Noh theater helped shape Japanese cultural identity during this period. The print series could be considered both conservative in its subject matter, and progressive, in its appeal to cultural pride at a time of Westernization. Looking at archival material, such as theater programs and reviews, can give us a better understanding of the cultural role of Noh theater and prints like this one. It reminds us that the meaning of art is always tied to its specific social and institutional context.