COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
mediaCollectionId
AMICO~1~1
The AMICA Library
Collection
true
AMICA ID:
AIC_.1949.39
amicoid
AIC_.1949.39
AMICA ID
false
AMICA Library Year:
1998
aly
1998
AMICA Library Year
false
Object Type:
Prints
oty
Prints
Object Type
false
Creator Name:
Katsukawa, Shunsho
crn
Katsukawa, Shunsho
Creator Name
false
Creator Nationality:
Asian; Far East Asian; Japanese
crc
Asian; Far East Asian; Japanese
Creator Nationality
false
Creator Dates/Places:
Japanese; 1726-1792 Asia,East Asia,Japan
cdt
Japanese; 1726-1792 Asia,East Asia,Japan
Creator Dates/Places
false
Creator Name-CRT:
Katsukawa Shunsho
crt
Katsukawa Shunsho
Creator Name-CRT
false
Title:
The actor Segawa Kikunojo III in private life, standing in a snow-covered garden
otn
The actor Segawa Kikunojo III in private life, standing in a snow-covered garden
Title
false
Title Type:
preferred
ott
preferred
Title Type
false
View:
full view
rid
full view
View
false
Creation Date:
c. 1775
oct
c. 1775
Creation Date
false
Creation Start Date:
1770
ocs
1770
Creation Start Date
false
Creation End Date:
1780
oce
1780
Creation End Date
false
Materials and Techniques:
Woodblock print.
omd
Woodblock print.
Materials and Techniques
false
Classification Term:
Woodblock
clt
Woodblock
Classification Term
false
Creation Place:
Asia,East Asia,Japan
ocp
Asia,East Asia,Japan
Creation Place
false
Dimensions:
Large hosoban; 38.5 x 17.5 cm
met
Large hosoban; 38.5 x 17.5 cm
Dimensions
false
AMICA Contributor:
The Art Institute of Chicago
oon
The Art Institute of Chicago
AMICA Contributor
false
Owner Location:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
oop
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Owner Location
false
ID Number:
1949.39
ooa
1949.39
ID Number
false
Credit Line:
The Art Institute of Chicago, The Clarence Buckingham Collection.
ooc
The Art Institute of Chicago, The Clarence Buckingham Collection.
Credit Line
false
Inscriptions:
SIGNATURE: Shunsho ga
oin
SIGNATURE: Shunsho ga
Inscriptions
false
Rights:
orl
<a href="http://www.artic.edu/aic/rights/main.rights.html"target="_new">http://www.artic.edu/aic/rights/main.rights.html</a>
Rights
false
Context:
This special portrait of Segawa Kikunojo III must have been issued shortly after the young actor succeeded to this prestigious name at the opening-of-the-season (kaomise) performance in the eleventh month of 1774, in his mid-twenties and doubtless at theheight of his beauty. As Ichiyama Tonisaburo, he had arrived from Osaka the previous year with sufficiently high reputation to be named by Kikunojo II as his successor when the latter lay dying in the third month of 1773. Kikunojo III danced 'Musume Dojo-ji' (The Maiden at Dojo-ji), one of Kikunojo II's best-loved roles, in memory of his predecessor, and quickly won over Edo fans with his good looks and charm in female roles. Together with Nakamura Tomijuro I, he would dominate 'young woman' (waka-onnagata) roles during the 1770s and '80s and on into the nineteenth century.The actor is shown not in costume but in the height of offstage good taste, elegantly posed in a snowy garden. By showing Kikunojo's hand tucked inside his long hanging sleeve and raised in a gesture of aesthetic delight, Shunsho simultaneously reveals the beauty of the garment and calls our attention to the beauty of the scene. In his other hand Kikunojo III holds a furled umbrella. Scattered chrysanthemum blossoms decorate the skirt of the pale blue kimono, and the actor's formal crest (jomon), a bundle of floss silk (yuiwata), is just visible at the breast. The fashionably long purple jacket (haori) has a pattern of decorated New Year balls and also bears Kikunojo III's informal crest (kaemon) of a chrysanthemum-and-butterfly (kiku-cho). About this time a new hair style called lantern locks (torobin), in which the side locks were combed outward to resemble the silhouette of a paper lantern, had just become the rage. Kikunojo III, whose stage persona made him a leader of female fashion, was of course to be seen in the latest style.The larger-than-normal size of this hosoban print, together with the careful cutting and printing, suggests that it might have been specially commissioned by some wealthy theater patron keen to promote the career of the attractive young man. Kikunojo II and III are both known, in fact, to have enjoyed the special support and patronage of Lord Matsudaira Munenobu (Nankai; 1729-1782), daimyo of Matsue. The possibility that it was a special commission is further borne out by the haiku poem printed above the figure, which was composed by Kikunojo III and signed with his pen name, Roko: Hatsuyuki ya (The first snow!) monomi e hakobu (Move the foot-warmer) okigotatsu (To the balcony with the view.)A similar print is known, showing Yamashita Kinsaku II holding a fan and with a poem referring to summer planting. Suzuki Juzo suggests that these two may originally have formed half of a set of four portraits of popular female impersonators in settings relating to the four seasons.
cxd
This special portrait of Segawa Kikunojo III must have been issued shortly after the young actor succeeded to this prestigious name at the opening-of-the-season (kaomise) performance in the eleventh month of 1774, in his mid-twenties and doubtless at theheight of his beauty. As Ichiyama Tonisaburo, he had arrived from Osaka the previous year with sufficiently high reputation to be named by Kikunojo II as his successor when the latter lay dying in the third month of 1773. Kikunojo III danced 'Musume Dojo-ji' (The Maiden at Dojo-ji), one of Kikunojo II's best-loved roles, in memory of his predecessor, and quickly won over Edo fans with his good looks and charm in female roles. Together with Nakamura Tomijuro I, he would dominate 'young woman' (waka-onnagata) roles during the 1770s and '80s and on into the nineteenth century.The actor is shown not in costume but in the height of offstage good taste, elegantly posed in a snowy garden. By showing Kikunojo's hand tucked inside his long hanging sleeve and raised in a gesture of aesthetic delight, Shunsho simultaneously reveals the beauty of the garment and calls our attention to the beauty of the scene. In his other hand Kikunojo III holds a furled umbrella. Scattered chrysanthemum blossoms decorate the skirt of the pale blue kimono, and the actor's formal crest (jomon), a bundle of floss silk (yuiwata), is just visible at the breast. The fashionably long purple jacket (haori) has a pattern of decorated New Year balls and also bears Kikunojo III's informal crest (kaemon) of a chrysanthemum-and-butterfly (kiku-cho). About this time a new hair style called lantern locks (torobin), in which the side locks were combed outward to resemble the silhouette of a paper lantern, had just become the rage. Kikunojo III, whose stage persona made him a leader of female fashion, was of course to be seen in the latest style.The larger-than-normal size of this hosoban print, together with the careful cutting and printing, suggests that it might have been specially commissioned by some wealthy theater patron keen to promote the career of the attractive young man. Kikunojo II and III are both known, in fact, to have enjoyed the special support and patronage of Lord Matsudaira Munenobu (Nankai; 1729-1782), daimyo of Matsue. The possibility that it was a special commission is further borne out by the haiku poem printed above the figure, which was composed by Kikunojo III and signed with his pen name, Roko: Hatsuyuki ya (The first snow!) monomi e hakobu (Move the foot-warmer) okigotatsu (To the balcony with the view.)A similar print is known, showing Yamashita Kinsaku II holding a fan and with a poem referring to summer planting. Suzuki Juzo suggests that these two may originally have formed half of a set of four portraits of popular female impersonators in settings relating to the four seasons.
Context
false
Related Image Identifier Link:
AIC_.E19712.TIF
ril
AIC_.E19712.TIF
Related Image Identifier Link
false