The Actor Iwai Hanshiro IV as Shirai Gompachi in the Play Gozen-gakari Sumo Soga, Performed at the Kawarazaki Theater in the Second Month, 1793 c. 1793

Editor: Here we have Katsukawa Shun'ei's woodblock print from around 1793, portraying the actor Iwai Hanshiro IV. The detail in the robes is incredible. What immediately strikes me is the sense of tension. He seems caught in a moment of quiet intensity. What do you make of it? Curator: This print offers a fascinating glimpse into the theatrical world of Edo-period Japan, and the complex relationship between performance and public perception. The portrayal of Iwai Hanshiro IV, specifically in his role as Shirai Gompachi, provides insight into how actors negotiated their identities both on and off stage. Shun'ei, here, immortalizes a fleeting performance, but also contributes to constructing the actor's public image. Consider the context: Ukiyo-e prints like this were immensely popular, serving as publicity for actors and plays. Editor: So, it’s like early celebrity culture, then? Shaping the narrative and persona... Curator: Precisely! The Kawarazaki Theater was a significant cultural institution. This print suggests how theater served not only as entertainment, but also as a space to explore social narratives, histories and moral codes, and, in turn, how these visuals served to both document, and shape them. How do you think it circulated at the time? Who would have been buying it? Editor: Perhaps theater enthusiasts, maybe fans of Iwai Hanshiro. It's like buying a poster of your favorite actor today! This makes me wonder how access to and collecting of prints influenced how performers shaped their personas at the time? Curator: An astute observation. Print culture democratized art viewing but it also professionalized acting, which then produced the cult of personality around individual actors! It's all connected. What have we learned about the relationship between popular imagery, theater, and the construction of celebrity? Editor: I’ll never look at a publicity shot the same way! This Ukiyo-e print gives us a snapshot into the popular culture that existed alongside performance.