Description
Onoe Kikugorō I takes the guise of an angry man in this print by Katsukawa Shunshō. The low, crouching body compresses its energy within the patterned robe. Its folds respond to the emphatic posture, turning the clothing into part of the action and giving the figure a restless force even within the still image.
Made around 1772 in ink and color on paper, the nishiki-e woodblock print belongs to Shunshō’s close engagement with kabuki actors. Its interest lies in the meeting of a particular performer and an expressive role, where emotion is shaped for an audience rather than simply recorded as a private state. The work gives that staged intensity a durable form, preserving the idea of a moment whose force would otherwise have depended on a living performance.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Katsukawa Shunshō collection.
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