Description
Katsukawa Shunshō gives Nakamura Nakazō’s Kan Shōjō role an emphatic silhouette in a black robe with both arms raised. A long narrow object extends with the gesture, while radiating diagonals and a crescent moon enliven the space above. The surrounding lines turn the figure’s movement outward, making the portrait feel charged with dramatic force rather than quietly posed.
Made around 1780, the work is an ink-and-color woodblock print. Its subject offers a lasting form for an appearance originally encountered in performance. The character’s name gives the portrait a dramatic identity, while Nakazō supplies its personal connection to an actor’s career. Shunshō’s image holds the two together, allowing the viewer to consider how a recognizable performer can be seen as someone else without losing the individuality that gives the role its presence.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Katsukawa Shunshō collection.
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