Actor Nakamura DenkÅ«rō 2nd AS A SAMURAI 

Curator: This striking woodblock print, now housed in the Harvard Art Museums, captures the actor Nakamura Denkuro II as a samurai. The artist is Katsukawa Shunko. Editor: He looks furious! Like a coiled spring about to unleash. And those bare feet – is he about to stomp into battle or has he just been caught off guard? Curator: This print belongs to a genre called yakusha-e, portraits of kabuki actors. Kabuki was immensely popular, and these prints were a way for audiences to take a piece of the performance home. Editor: So, less about the man, more about the character? Though you can definitely feel the intensity radiating off the paper. I wonder what role he's playing? Curator: Indeed! The artist is using conventions, like exaggerated features and dramatic poses, to communicate character and emotion to a broad audience. Editor: It makes you realize how performative so much of our public life is. That’s the enduring power of an image like this, it’s as relevant today as it was then.