Imaginary portrait, Shuihuzhuan of Stage: Tōryūdai (Mitate Suikoden Tōrōdai) - Actor Ichikawa Sadanji plays Hanaoshō Shinkichi 1875

Editor: Let’s discuss Toyohara Kunichika's woodblock print from 1875, "Imaginary portrait, Shuihuzhuan of Stage: Tōryūdai (Mitate Suikoden Tōrōdai) - Actor Ichikawa Sadanji plays Hanaoshō Shinkichi". There's something really captivating, yet also unsettling, about the actor's intense expression and tightly crossed arms. What's your interpretation? Curator: The unease comes from Kunichika’s canny grasp of Edo-period anxieties and Meiji-period transformations. Consider the context: Japan was rapidly Westernizing. Prints like this, depicting kabuki actors in roles from popular stories, were intensely popular, but also reflected a desire to hold onto older cultural narratives and theatrical forms. Notice the vivid colours. Editor: I hadn't considered it as a way of clinging to the past amid change. But the actor’s makeup…it seems so exaggerated. Curator: Exactly. That exaggerated style is integral to Kabuki theatre, a very stylized medium full of codified gestures, where every tilt of the head and swish of a sleeve conveys a wealth of meaning. However, the choice to represent it in this permanent medium says a lot about the period. Ukiyo-e prints, like photographs in later periods, became an invaluable way to create portraits. Did it replace painting, though? Editor: Interesting! So these prints helped preserve theatrical traditions? Curator: In a way, yes, by popularizing and disseminating these images. Also, the celebrity status of the actors meant a thriving commercial market existed, making this a pivotal point in understanding how Japanese art functioned within its socio-economic structure. Editor: I see what you mean. It's not just a portrait; it's a cultural and historical record, a commodity, and a form of preservation all in one. I learned something new! Curator: And I find that the most rewarding part of looking at art, connecting with the society and cultural factors involved.