Ichikawa Monosuke II 1780 - 1810

Editor: This woodblock print from the late 1700s or early 1800s, titled "Ichikawa Monosuke II", is by Katsukawa Shun'ei. What I find arresting is the sternness of the actor’s expression against the fleeting beauty of the cherry blossoms. What do you make of that juxtaposition? Curator: It's delicious, isn’t it? Like bitter chocolate with cherries. Shun'ei has captured the intensity of Kabuki theatre— the weight of tradition, the disciplined movements. But look closely… he softens it, doesn’t he? Those delicate blossoms mirroring the subtle colours in the actor's costume, hinting at a world beyond the stage. Editor: So the cherry blossoms act as a sort of counterpoint to the seriousness? Curator: Precisely. And perhaps even a commentary. Ukiyo-e, "pictures of the floating world," often juxtaposed fleeting pleasures with the everyday. The actor, though grand and imposing, is still part of that ephemeral world. A falling cherry blossom… doesn’t that put things into perspective? What stories do you think this piece tells, do you think this portrait suggests? Editor: Maybe a story about holding onto the serious stuff in life, even while recognizing beauty and joy? Or maybe how the actor projects a tough exterior, but underneath it all he's a softy! Curator: Haha! Maybe! And isn’t that the beauty of art? To spark those "maybes," those connections, those silly, delightful little stories that bubble up in our own minds? Editor: Definitely. I see the actor and cherry blossoms in a completely new light! Curator: Exactly, this is more than just ink and wood; it's a portal, isn't it?