Actor Ichikawa Komazō 

Curator: The Harvard Art Museums hold this striking woodblock print by Ippitsusai Bunchō, depicting the actor Ichikawa Komazō. The paper itself measures just over 32 centimeters in height. Editor: It has such raw energy! The angular lines, the almost frantic composition…I feel like I’ve stumbled into the climax of a play. Curator: Indeed. These prints, ukiyo-e, were mass-produced and widely consumed. The depiction of actors helped to fuel the cult of celebrity in Edo-period Japan. Notice the details in the kimono patterns and the musculature. Editor: And the tension between the figures! One’s planted, powerful, and the other… writhing. It's a moment suspended, forever on the brink. It's quite evocative. Curator: Understanding the printmaking process, the labor involved, gives us a deeper appreciation for its impact as a commodity and as a form of cultural expression. Editor: For me, it's the sheer emotion, the distilled drama of the scene, that lingers. That’s the magic.