Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Ebizō I as Ranmyaku No Kichi 1795

Editor: So, this is Toshusai Sharaku's woodblock print, "Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Ebizo I as Ranmyaku No Kichi," from 1795. The caricature really strikes me – it feels so exaggerated and modern somehow. What do you see in it? Curator: What I see is, paradoxically, truth in distortion! Sharaku had this wild ability to capture the *essence* of these actors, you know? It’s less about literal likeness, and more about conveying their stage presence. This Ebizo, he’s both imposing and almost… vulnerable? Notice the subtle curve of his lips suggesting some self-aware irony maybe? Or like he's sharing a secret with us? The boldness of the lines, those powerful stripes, they *become* the actor, a symbol of his character. What do you make of the costume's detail? Editor: I hadn't thought of the costume like that! I just saw patterns. So, you think the costume tells a story, too, even beyond the actor's expression? Curator: Oh, absolutely! These choices – the weight of the lines, the color contrasts – all amplify the feeling of drama and the ephemeral nature of performance itself. I wonder, looking at this, what sort of sound Ebizo's voice had in that role? Raspy? booming? What does the print tell you? Editor: It's funny, it makes me think of how a comedian uses their whole body to tell a joke - posture, clothing, all part of the performance! This print freezes a fleeting moment, it becomes, maybe, immortalized and… understood differently over time! Curator: Exactly! We each bring ourselves to it! See? We are collaborators with Sharaku, centuries later. Wonderful, isn’t it? Editor: Definitely something to ponder; I will definitely see prints differently.