Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō VII as the White-Bearded Ikyū Possibly 1929

This striking woodblock print of Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō VII, by Natori Shunsen, captures the actor in character. The power of the piece lies in its dramatic color choices and bold lines. It feels very immediate, as though the artist was interested in capturing the energy of the moment. There's something almost cartoonish in the red markings around the eyes, aren't they wild? What’s so impressive is how the artist uses this to convey a sense of heightened emotion. Everything about the image is theatrical; the intense stare, the elaborate costume, the grey background. Even the whiteness of the face, framed by that white wig, feels like a mask. I'm reminded of some of the bold portraiture of Gauguin, though the graphic quality here is very much its own thing. This is definitely an artist who understands the power of an image to create a world of its own. It's a reminder that art, like theater, is a space of transformation and possibility.