The Actor Ichikawa Masuzo I as Soga no Goro in the play "Tokitsukaze Irifune Soga," performed at the Nakamura Theater in the first month, 1758 1758

Curator: Looking at this artwork, my first thought is: constrained beauty. Editor: Interesting. Let me give you a bit of background. This is a woodblock print from 1758 by Torii Kiyomitsu. It depicts the actor Ichikawa Masuzo I as Soga no Goro in the play "Tokitsukaze Irifune Soga". He's rendered with an interesting sense of theatricality. Does that framing with beauty make sense now? Curator: Oh, definitely. The bars of what looks like a gate...they cage him, almost. But the colours! That fantastic kimono! He’s radiant, like contained fire. It suggests a yearning to break free. And that lantern… it’s so carefully held. Editor: That kimono itself is rich with symbolic meaning. Notice the repetition of the square motifs, common in samurai emblems. And the swirling wave patterns hinting at Soga's dynamic spirit. He holds not only a lantern but a sword – key visual indicators of his character and role within the play, of course. Curator: And what's especially lovely is how the texture of the wood grain almost merges with the patterning of his clothing. You get the sense of him being not just an actor *in* a play but being one with the very world of the stage *as* the play. Like he is literally carved out of the scenery. Editor: That blending adds to the flattening effect characteristic of *ukiyo-e*. It also amplifies his presence, forcing the eye to contend with the details: the intense, almost glowering expression, and the contrast between the fine, expressive lines and the bolder decorative areas of costume. Curator: I think it is the eyes. A flicker of raw passion in that gaze – so at odds with the formality around him. A wonderful piece. I see that yearning so strongly in his face. Editor: Absolutely, a figure imbued with narrative force and potent with suggestive symbolism. Thank you for sharing your perspective; the image is richer with these nuances brought to light.