Description
Iwai Hanshirō IV appears in a female role, leaning forward within a narrow upright composition. The pale patterned robe gathers into long folds, while darker fabric at the sleeve provides a strong contrast. Katsukawa Shunshō gives the bowed head and closely held hands a concentrated presence, making a restrained gesture feel expressive without requiring a crowded setting.
Made around 1779, the color woodblock print portrays a performer through the character being enacted. Costume and bearing therefore work together, giving the image the intimacy of a figure study and the deliberate expressiveness of a stage appearance. Shunshō’s flowing contours carry the eye along the robe before returning it to the face. The design remains engaging through that quiet movement between decorative detail and human posture.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Katsukawa Shunshō collection.
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