Actor Onoe Matsusuke I as Ōtori Sagaemon c. 1780s

Curator: Here we see Katsukawa Shunko’s rendering of the actor Onoe Matsusuke I as Otori Sagaemon. Editor: He looks…resigned. There's a stillness to the pose that feels heavier than the multiple layers of his costume suggest. Curator: That's interesting. The actor Onoe Matsusuke would have embodied the symbolic weight of the role, referencing tales of honor and duty recognized within the audience's cultural memory. Editor: And consider how woodblock prints were made. The key block, cut first, would have defined the actor's form, influencing all subsequent color layers. The success of the final impression depended on the artisan's skill and labor. Curator: Exactly. The choice of costume, the subtle rendering of the face, the presence of the swords, these all contribute to a complex narrative that resonates with the history of the art form itself. Editor: So, from the ground up, the material constraints and choices impacted how this story reaches us. It is interesting to think about the labor and materials as adding to the gravity of his image. Curator: A sobering thought indeed.