The Actor Matsumoto Koshiro IV as Hatakeyama Shigetada in the Play Edo no Fuji Wakayagi Soga, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the First Month, 1789 c. 1789

Editor: This is Katsukawa Shunsen’s woodblock print from around 1789, portraying the actor Matsumoto Koshiro IV in character. It's striking how deliberately posed he is; there’s such theatricality to his presentation, almost like a publicity shot. What historical context might inform this dramatic presentation? Curator: This print participates in a fascinating dialogue between theatre, celebrity culture, and print media in Edo-period Japan. Ukiyo-e prints like these functioned as both advertisements and souvenirs. Consider the role of the Nakamura Theater - it was a major cultural institution, but also a business. These actor prints were commodities circulated within a burgeoning commercial environment. The depiction of Matsumoto Koshiro IV isn’t just a portrait; it's a carefully constructed persona intended to sell tickets and perpetuate his star image. Who do you think purchased these prints and how did these artworks affect popular opinions of theatre and the figures they contained? Editor: I hadn't considered the commercial aspect so directly. Thinking about it that way, perhaps owning a print made you feel closer to the actor or the play, solidifying the relationship between audience and performer, but perhaps also generating buzz for those who *didn't* get the chance to go. Was that buzz always positive? Curator: That's a key question. While prints could enhance an actor's popularity, they also subjected them to intense public scrutiny. These images helped forge opinions. What's interesting is how the print mediates between the fictional role, the actor's own persona, and public expectation, thus, these prints both recorded and helped *shape* that reality. Editor: So it’s not just art reflecting life but also actively constructing it. That shifts my perspective quite a bit. Thank you for clarifying this web of relationships for me. Curator: And thank you for asking a wonderful question that revealed how multi-faceted historical approaches must always be.