The Actor Yamashita Kyonosuke in the Role of Tamarimaru 1759 - 1779

Ippitsusai Bunchō created this woodblock print of the actor Yamashita Kyonosuke as Tamarimaru. The figure is vertically oriented and nearly fills the pictorial space, which evokes a sense of immediacy. The actor is depicted in a theatrical pose, with soft and muted colours that lend a delicate and dreamlike quality to the scene. Linear elements, like the lines of the actor's robe and the branches of the tree, structure the composition. The actor's figure and the natural elements of the landscape create a complex interplay between artifice and nature. The print challenges the traditional representation of actors by focusing on the performative aspects of the role. Semiotically, each element, from the actor's attire to the stage setting, functions as a sign contributing to the overall meaning. Note how the linear patterns in the actor's robe and the flowing lines of the landscape elements work to construct an image which destabilizes the boundary between nature and performance. The print asks us to consider how identities are constructed and performed through a complex interplay of signs and cultural codes.