32 Toyohara Kunichika 1835 – 1900 The Actor Ichikawa Gonjūrō as Lord Tsunauji

Japan, Meiji period (c. 1870–1890)

This classic theatrical woodblock print (yakusha-e) was designed by Toyohara Kunichika, one of the most important and influential artists of the Meiji period, renowned for his kabuki actor portraits. The scene depicts the actor Ichikawa Gonjūrō in the role of Lord Tsunauji (Tsunauji-gimi) and is likely one panel of a larger theatrical triptych. The actor is captured in a highly dramatic pose, gripping a spear while standing on a riverbank beneath a weeping willow. He wears a luxurious purple kimono decorated with a bold checkerboard pattern and paulownia crests. The upper sky is printed with a deep synthetic red (aniline red). This intense red dye, newly discovered in the West and heavily imported into Japan, is an iconic characteristic of woodblock prints from the early to mid-Meiji era (often referred to as aka-e or "red pictures").