Focus Series: East Asian
Thu, Dec 13, 6 pm
Creative Partnerships Between the Utagawa School Printmakers and Kabuki Actors
with Natsu Oyobe, Curator of Asian Art, University of Michigan Museum of Art
In nineteenth-century Japan, exuberant prints depicting well-known actors and characters of kabuki theater, one of Japan’s most popular dramatic art forms that originated in the early 17th century, were produced by artists of the Utagawa School such as Utagawa Kunisada, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, and Toyohara Kunichika. These prints enjoyed enormous popularity, surpassing even the works of Katsushika Hokusai. These artists held close relationships with star actors of the stage, consulting on print designs while also providing inspirations for new kabuki plays and performances. This talk examines their fascinating and fruitful partnerships that enriched the world of kabuki theater.
The Focus Series is open to all members beginning at the Friends level.
IMAGE Actor Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Kamifusa Shichibyoe Kagekiyo in the Tale of Kagekiyo, 19th century, Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III) (Japanese, 1786 - 1864), Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Gift of Japan-Virginia Society © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
