The First Nakamura Nakazo as a Samurai Standing Near a Willow Tree

Description

Nakamura Nakazō I stands as a samurai near a willow tree, bringing the actor’s assumed warrior identity into a setting marked by foliage. The actor stands hunched beneath a drooping willow, wearing a checked inner garment and pale outer robe with a sword at the side. The body’s inclination gives the figure a particular focus, while the downward branches extend that rhythm into the surrounding setting.

Dated to 1768 or 1769, the nishiki-e print was made with ink and color on paper. The willow supplies an environmental counterpart to the standing figure, allowing the scene’s interest to emerge through a meeting of character and setting. Katsukawa Shunshō’s image keeps Nakazō recognizable within his guise. Its appeal lies in that grounded transformation, where the actor’s stage identity becomes part of a represented world rather than remaining detached from its surroundings.

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