Kichiiemon as Hoshikage Tsuchiemon 1921

Yamamura Toyonari gave us this woodblock print of Kichiiemon as Hoshikage Tsuchiemon, and it's just amazing! Look at the razor-sharp lines defining his face. It is so stylized, so graphic that it becomes emotionally charged. The artist probably didn't use a brush at all but cut the image directly into the woodblock and created a whole world of light and shade through layering and cutting. I really wonder about the guy who carved this block. He must have known the actor Kichiiemon intimately, studied him intensely, and captured something essential about his being. The artist knew his form so well, it was distilled and ready to go. There’s such a clear, concise way of seeing. I love how artists find their own means to this end in their different media. I think this is what all artists strive for, whether they're carving wood or wielding a brush.