Actors Nakamura Tsuruzō I by Utagawa Kunisada

Actors Nakamura Tsuruzō I Possibly 1860 - 1869

print, ink, color-on-paper

childish illustration

egg art

print

japan

handmade artwork painting

ink

color-on-paper

naive art

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

cartoon carciture

cartoon theme

watercolor

multiple paintbruush use

This woodblock print, created by renowned Japanese artist Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865), depicts a scene from a Kabuki play featuring the famous actor Nakamura Tsuruzō I. The print, likely created between 1860 and 1869, showcases Kunisada's masterful use of color and detail, capturing the vibrant costumes and expressions of the actors. The composition, featuring multiple figures engaged in dramatic poses, further emphasizes the dynamism of the play. This piece is a prime example of ukiyo-e, a genre of Japanese art that depicted everyday life, popular culture, and theatrical scenes.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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This pentaptych which misses the first sheet (far right) is titled Assembly to Practice the Three Towers. Behind the stage, the most famous kabuki actors of the day are rehearsing scripts. They were written by the three renown playwrights referred to in the title as Towers: Segawa Jokō III (1806-81), Kawatake Mokuami (1816-93), and Sakurada Jisuke III (1802-77). Collectors of prints like this could easily identify the actors by their faces but not so much the playwrights, hence red cartouches with their names were placed besides them.