Sawamura Tosshō II (1838–86), from the series Mirror of Photographs Backstage (Shashin gakuya kagami - Sawamura Tosshō nisei) 1849 - 1871

Editor: So, this print is by Toyohara Kunichika. It depicts Sawamura Tosshō II, a Kabuki actor, from the series "Mirror of Photographs: Backstage," placing it somewhere between 1849 and 1871. It’s a woodblock print and is held at The Met. There’s a gentleness in those soft colours… What strikes you most when you look at this image? Curator: Oh, that face! So much larger than life, and just brimming with backstage anxiety, I'd wager. The contrast between the rigid formality of the Kabuki aesthetic and the palpable humanity peeking through really grabs me. Kunichika wasn’t just documenting; he was hinting at the emotional toll, right? Does the actor sweat, does he pause to reflect just before taking to the stage? Editor: Absolutely! It’s like a window into a fleeting moment. That cup he's holding, steaming slightly, makes it very real. Curator: And those tiny props down there... I imagine he is making last minute adjustment to his costume or makeup. How cleverly Kunichika plays with perspective and proportion here. He zooms in and creates a stage within a stage. You get the idea this star really must carry the show! What about the visual tension—the stillness of his face against the vibrant, almost frenetic, patterns of his kimono? Editor: It’s as if his costume holds all of the character's energy and the actor is trying to ground himself. The composition definitely amplifies the contrast between actor and character. Curator: Precisely! A meditation on identity, on performance, on the very nature of being seen, isn't it? It’s really something, the emotional depth he packs into what seems, at first glance, like a straightforward portrait. I can’t help feeling sympathetic toward the weight of expectation they bare. Editor: That's such a different view than what I first felt. Now, it has more depth! Curator: These little glimpses teach us something new, I think, every single time. I wonder if future audiences would see the world that we see...