Actor Yamashita Kinsaku II in an Onnagata Role
Katsukawa Shunshō, Actor Yamashita Kinsaku II in an Onnagata Role, ca. 1780s, color woodblock print on paper; nishiki-e, The Mary Andrews Ladd Collection, public domain, 32.144
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- Title
Actor Yamashita Kinsaku II in an Onnagata Role
- Related Titles
original language: 二代目山下金作
- Artist
- Date
ca. 1780s
- Period
Japan: Edo period (1615-1868)
- Medium
color woodblock print on paper; nishiki-e
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
image: 9 13/16 in x 5 3/8 in; sheet: 10 7/8 in x 5 3/8 in
- Inscriptions & Markings
signature: 春章画, printed in black, lower right Transliteration (Translation): Shunshō ga (picture [by] Shunshō) Language: Japanese
- Collection Area
Asian Art; Graphic Arts
- Category
Prints
Japanese Traditional Prints
- Object Type
relief print
- Culture
Japanese
- Credit Line
The Mary Andrews Ladd Collection
- Accession Number
32.144
- Copyright
public domain
- Terms
Many of the leading roles in kabuki plays were male heroes, but onnagata (female-role) actors could also become major superstars. Yamashita Kinsaku II (1733–1799) was an outstanding onnagata who played starring roles in all three of Japan's major cities: Edo (modern-day Tokyo), Osaka, and Kyoto. Although actors usually developed distinctive flair and stock poses, notice the differences between Shunshō's depiction of Kinsaku II and Bunchō's portrayal [see Related Artworks: 32.164].
- Exhibitions
2019 Dramatic Impressions: Japanese Actor Prints Portland Art Museum
