The Third Segawa Kikunojo as (?) Wife of Kudo Suketsune in a Soga Play 1782 - 1804

Curator: Katsukawa Shun'ei created this woodblock print, "The Third Segawa Kikunojo as Wife of Kudo Suketsune in a Soga Play," sometime between 1782 and 1804. The medium is immediately captivating, isn't it? Editor: It is, although what really strikes me first is the inherent performativity of the piece. The depiction of the actor portraying a female role, deeply rooted in social and theatrical gender dynamics of the era, offers so much to unpack. Curator: Absolutely, but let’s not overlook the material process that shapes our view. Consider the careful layering of the pigments on the paper. Each color represents a separate carved block, each registering the intense, and undoubtedly, gendered division of labor within the workshops that produced these prints. It is as much a story of cultural representation as it is one of printmaking. Editor: A critical intersection to note is this performative expression within Ukiyo-e and the often rigid social expectations faced by women. Was this just innocent theatre or subversive art—perhaps it's both. Curator: Yes, think too of the relationship between these works and their audience. They circulated widely, entering domestic spaces as a commodity of pleasure and aesthetic enjoyment for common people. Each line, each shade, carries a deliberate weight, balancing art and commerce, visibility and gender. Editor: Viewing this today really highlights how complex ideas surrounding representation were even in what appears to be purely artistic and cultural representation. To look at something like this print gives us a clearer reflection of the attitudes of the society at the time. Curator: Indeed, the dialogue it creates resonates through time and continues today. It reminds me to really value these objects as they carry these narratives for years to come. Editor: A worthy cause to which this Ukiyo-e now makes me want to return.