The Fourth Ichikawa Danjuro as a Samurai of High Rank Standing

Description

Ichikawa Danjūrō IV stands as a high-ranking samurai in long pale patterned robes within an architectural interior. One broad sleeve rises from the tall figure, giving the expansive clothing a particular arrangement. Katsukawa Shunshō makes performer and character equally present in the encounter, allowing the actor’s portrayal to give formal rank a distinct human appearance.

Katsukawa Shunshō’s color woodblock print is probably from 1770. Its ink-and-color surface gives a stage subject a durable visual presence beyond the performance itself. The work’s appeal lies in that continuing encounter, allowing the viewer to regard the actor’s portrayal as a distinct human interpretation rather than reconstructing a dramatic plot that the source does not securely name.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Katsukawa Shunshō collection.