The Actor Matsumoto Koshiro 2nd as a Samurai

Description

Matsumoto Kōshirō II stands as a samurai in a dark-purple formal shoulder garment above a pale lower robe. A hand held at the waist and a sword give the upright figure clear accents. Katsukawa Shunshō connects the named actor to a warrior identity, allowing formal costume and practical weapon to establish the role through a particular theatrical presence.

The color woodblock print dates to 1771–72 and uses ink and color on paper. It gives a role intended for performance a continuing visual presence beyond the stage event. The work invites attention to how martial identity becomes individual through the named actor who assumes it, without requiring a speculative title for a play or an invented episode to explain the portrayal.

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