The Actor Nakamura Enjaku II as the Snarling Gonta

This yakusha-e captures Nakamura Enjaku II in the role of Igami no Gonta, the scheming fishmonger antihero of the puppet and kabuki play Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura. Gonta's signature expression—a snarling, ambivalent glare—is among the most demanding in the sewamono repertoire, requiring the actor to project menace and suppressed sentiment simultaneously. Enjaku II, a leading Osaka onnagata who also excelled in male villain roles, is depicted here presumably in the wooden-like, fixed-gaze mie pose associated with Gonta's confrontation scenes. Yoshikawa's print likely emphasizes the face, wig, and the rough fisherman's costume of striped or patched cloth that identifies the character's low social station. The title's specific reference to the snarling expression suggests a compositional focus on the actor's face and upper body, isolating the moment of peak theatrical intensity.