Kabuki Actor Ichimura Uzaemon IX 1749 - 1769

Curator: This print by Torii Kiyomitsu, dating from the mid-18th century, showcases Ichimura Uzaemon IX, a popular Kabuki actor. The medium here is a woodblock print, very typical of ukiyo-e. Editor: My initial reaction is struck by the intense flatness. It feels very graphic, the lines defining form with remarkable clarity. Curator: Precisely. Kiyomitsu, belonging to the Torii school, dedicated their artistic efforts to portraying Kabuki actors. One may note how every single line defining the garments contributes to this effect of calculated flatness. It enhances readability. Editor: It's quite interesting to think about the theatrical context. What purpose did these actor prints serve within the bustling Edo society? Curator: Ukiyo-e prints featuring popular actors functioned as celebrity endorsements and promotional materials. Think of it as pre-modern marketing for the Kabuki theaters. Notice how the patterns and folds articulate the clothing, almost functioning like a catalogue in and of themselves. Editor: The stylized facial expression is particularly captivating. There is this almost melancholic stoicism that’s intriguing. But, beyond sheer portraiture, do you think we should read this print more politically? What class status is the actor communicating? Curator: Certainly. While actors themselves might not have held the highest social status, their portrayals allowed for commentary on fashion and urban life. The intricate details in the print—the textiles, accessories like the umbrella—demonstrate a form of aspirational consumption and speak to emerging bourgeois class awareness during the Edo period. It seems as though their dress codes functioned as proto-status symbols that served a purpose similar to present-day hypebeast/brand fetishism. Editor: Well, considering the rigid social hierarchies back then, perhaps even more potent! I am surprised by the ways prints helped break social codes through portraiture. What I initially regarded as mere aesthetics seems incredibly political, subversive, even. Curator: Absolutely. Looking beyond formal properties, these prints are precious artifacts, capable of speaking volumes on past consumer patterns. Editor: What a clever synthesis. Now, after all our discourse, that flat surface has newfound depths, layers of history emerging with the turn of the tongue.