The Third Sawamura Sojuro in the Role of Shirai Gonpachi 1788

This ukiyo-e print, "The Third Sawamura Sojuro in the Role of Shirai Gonpachi," by Katsukawa Shunkō, depicts a kabuki actor, Sawamura Sojuro III, in a role as a famous swordsman. Shunkō, who was a prominent artist in the Katsukawa school, captured the actor's likeness in great detail, showing Sojuro III in a dramatic pose, adorned in traditional clothing. The print is an example of the actor prints (yakusha-e) that were popular in the Edo period.