The Actor Bandō Hikosaburō II as a Komuso in the Role of Sōga no Gorō Tokimune 1754 - 1774

Curator: Immediately, there's a feeling of quietude that emanates from this image. It's the downward glance, the soft colors... very serene. Editor: The work before us, "The Actor Bandō Hikosaburō II as a Komuso in the Role of Soga no Gorō Tokimune", by Torii Kiyomitsu, created sometime between 1754 and 1774. It’s a Japanese woodblock print, a beautiful example of ukiyo-e portraiture currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The subject, as the title tells us, is an actor playing a specific role. Curator: That's what gives it such richness, I think. You have layers upon layers of identity. Actor playing a role. What kind of weight does that hold for us? We know that theatrical representation and performance are ways in which individuals can be both revealed and concealed. Editor: Precisely. And Kiyomitsu captures it masterfully through subtle choices, not just in expression, but through the komuso's attire and that curious basket hat that conceals much of his face. These details act as cultural shorthand, alluding to stories and meanings known by the audience of the time. We, however, are distanced and must unravel them, adding our own meaning-making to them as well. Curator: You're so right. These robes are really ornate, there are repeated geometric patterns. But then notice how simple the line is depicting the hand, a masterful use of negative space. It has the delicacy of a quick sketch but also a striking presence. The way the artist has used the lines on the robes to point us back to the actor's face adds to a visual circularity which also hints to continuity. Editor: The artist, the actor, and even we who look are participating in a ritual, of seeing and interpreting an enduring myth. Does this print speak to you beyond what we have mentioned here? Curator: Yes, there is a quiet dignity in this actor's repose. There’s so much unspoken, even obscured, yet his essence still shines. Editor: For me, I sense a bittersweet melancholy. Knowing it is an actor in costume, it becomes an exploration of fleeting identity. This image encapsulates what it is to be a self. It also allows the artwork to have lasting resonance.