Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Danjūrō V

Description

Ichikawa Danjūrō V is the named subject of this actor print by Katsukawa Shunshō, bringing a particular kabuki performer into close view. The actor steps slightly aside in a long patterned robe, with a round form behind the shoulder and a hand near the face. The modest shift of the body gives the figure a particular rhythm, allowing gesture and costume to work together in a focused stage presence.

Made in 1774, the nishiki-e woodblock print was produced with ink and color on paper. Shunshō gives an otherwise temporary appearance a durable form, carrying recognition beyond the circumstances of a live performance. The subject remains individual rather than a general emblem of acting. Its appeal lies in that human specificity, where an audience’s familiarity with a performer can continue through the intimate experience of looking at an image.

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