Memorial portrait of the actor Matsumoto Yonesaburo I 1805

This is Utagawa Toyokuni I’s memorial portrait of the actor Matsumoto Yonesaburo I. It’s a woodblock print created in Japan, during the Edo period. During this time, Japanese society was highly stratified, and the representation of actors, who were often seen as outside the rigid social hierarchy, was carefully managed. Kabuki actors, like Yonesaburo, were popular figures, yet their status was complex. Here, Yonesaburo is depicted in a moment of repose. The memorial aspect suggests a desire to preserve his memory and perhaps elevate his social standing postmortem. Utagawa, as a prominent artist of Ukiyo-e prints, navigated the cultural expectations and artistic expression. The print invites us to reflect on the ephemeral nature of performance, fame, and identity, and its role in shaping cultural memory.