The Actor Onoe Kikugoro I as Kyo no Jiro in the play "Fujibumi Sakae Soga," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the second month, 1763 1763

Curator: Right now, we’re looking at "The Actor Onoe Kikugoro I as Kyo no Jiro in the play 'Fujibumi Sakae Soga,'" created in 1763 by Torii Kiyomitsu. It's a Japanese woodblock print, and what a striking image it is. Editor: My first thought? Quiet power. The actor is obviously posed, but there's this subtle tension, like he's holding back something immense. That patterned kimono is so alive, while his face is all controlled stillness. Curator: The composition, too, contributes to that stillness. Kiyomitsu’s work comes from a specific era, the ukiyo-e tradition focused on capturing the floating world, and specifically actors who achieved celebrity status at the time. The formal quality and elegant handwork contribute a narrative of class and style. Editor: It feels different from some other actor prints I've seen; there's less exaggerated drama. More about internal fortitude. It’s that ever-so-slight turn of the head, the contained energy, and the shadow on the basket hat hiding one side of his face. Almost melancholic. What would performances have looked like then, I wonder? Curator: It is true. Many of these prints acted as promotional material as well as memorial documentation. Consider the function these kinds of images had, which played a prominent role in celebrity and theatre culture during this time. A fusion of documentation and memory all at once. The art market drove their creation and distribution across a variety of locations for different purposes. Editor: You're right, I suppose it’s difficult to separate celebrity culture from how we even interpret historical objects. As time continues, the past always appears more beautiful in retrospect, if that makes sense. It's powerful how a simple print can hold so much layered history and provoke such personal feelings even now. Curator: Yes, each line and colour choice was laden with social and artistic intention at the time. What resonances does it have for a contemporary world saturated in screen-mediated celebrity? Editor: Perhaps the quietness gives it more space for our imaginations to reflect our own inner drama on it. Thank you!