Ichikawa Sansho as Umeo in Kurumabiki 1953

This woodblock print shows Ichikawa Sansho as Umeo in Kurumabiki by Natori Shunsen. I can imagine him, Shunsen, working carefully, carving away at the wood, thinking about the pressure, the mark, the ink. Look at the face of the figure. This is not so much a portrait as a map of emotion. Thick, curving stripes of red are painted across his face. The lines build up, slowly revealing character through the weight and texture of each individual stroke. You can almost feel the weight of expectation, the drama, the emotions compressed into that mask. The red reminds me of the work of Edvard Munch, or even a Francis Bacon painting. It is so interesting how artists across time and cultures reach for similar palettes to express feeling and experience. It makes you wonder what Shunsen might think of their paintings if he could see them today. Artists are always inspiring each other, across time, across place, and across media. Making art is like a grand conversation, a continuous thread of human expression.