Katsukawa Shunsho Print

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/32116


Katsukawa Shunsho
Nakamura Tomijuro I as Nagoya Osan in the second part of "Fuki-kaete Tsuki no Yoshiwara" 1771
Woodblock print
Art Institute of Chicago

Sorry folks, it looks like I am unable to get the image to loan for this post. The link above will take you to the Art Institute of Chicago's page.

Katsukawa was known for his images of kabuki actors during the ukiyo-e period of Japanese woodblock prints. The artists for these prints used actors, courtesans and tourist spots as the subjects for their images. The prints were then posted in the streets or sold as mementos or collector pieces like modern trading cards. These were images for the common people.

Woodblock prints became known to westerners when Japan was finally opened up to trade during the 19th century. The sheets of paper were used as packing materials for the more expensive luxury materials being shipped into the west. Some of the more salacious images were kept by the sailors while others came to the attention of art collectors or artists. Western artists were influenced by the use of line in depicting the flowing robes and decorative patterns as well as the use of perspective and the fitting of a scene in the artistic space.

Writer, James Mitchner is the premier collector of Japanese prints. I had the opportunity to see an exhibition of some of his pieces and it was a real treat. The images and reproductions we see in books do not do justice to the color and texture which the actual prints have.