Description
Nakamura Tomijūrō I appears as a woman dancer, holding a fan above the head while the body turns beneath patterned robes. The lifted accessory forms a bright arc over the face, and the costume’s folds continue the movement downward. Katsukawa Shunshō places the performer against an open background, making the dance pose the unmistakable center of attention.
Dated to October or November 1778, the color woodblock design joins theatrical characterization to the elegance of a carefully balanced gesture. The fan, sleeves and shifting feet give the figure a rhythm that remains readable in the narrow format. Shunshō keeps decorative pattern connected to bodily movement, so the clothing seems to participate in the performance rather than merely describe it. The image preserves a moment whose lightness comes from its precise coordination of pose and line.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Katsukawa Shunshō collection.
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