The Actor Ichikawa Monosuke (?) or Ichikawa Omezō in Female Role

Description

In Actor in a Female Role, Katsukawa Shunshō gives the figure a brown patterned kimono with red accents above. A draped head covering frames the turned face, making the role’s appearance distinct against a pale field. The performer’s identity remains uncertain, tentatively given as Ichikawa Monnosuke or Ichikawa Omezō, so the theatrical figure can be appreciated without forcing a single actor’s name onto it.

The ink-and-color woodblock print belongs to Edo-period Japan, without a securely established creation year in the available record. Its human interest lies in the transformation made visible by performance, even when the individual actor’s name is unresolved. Shunshō’s image preserves that encounter without forcing certainty onto the identification. The portrait keeps the role’s theatrical character clear while allowing the question of who performs it to remain honestly open.

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