The Actor Matsumoto Koshiro as Banzuin Chobei 1795

Tōshūsai Sharaku made this woodblock print of the actor Matsumoto Koshiro in the role of Banzuin Chobei in Japan, sometime in the late 18th century. Prints like this one were a response to the rapidly expanding urban culture of Edo, now Tokyo. Theaters were a popular form of entertainment, and actors became celebrities. Woodblock prints were the mass media of their day, and they catered to a public hungry for images of their favorite stars. Note how the artist uses line and color to capture the essence of the actor's personality and the character he portrays. Consider what it meant for this actor to be memorialized in this way. Was this just a form of celebrity worship, or did it serve a deeper social or cultural purpose? The study of prints like this involves looking at theater programs, playbills, and other ephemera from the period, so we can better understand the role of art and entertainment in shaping social identities and values.