An Actor of Woman's Roles

Date:: 1791
Medium:: Color woodblock print; hosoban
Format:: Hosoban
Source:: Art Institute of Chicago

Typical Price

Later reprint or reproduction: $50–$300
Good later impression (Edo-period, some wear): $1,500–$6,000
Good early impression (vivid color, strong characterization): $6,000–$20,000
Fine early impression (exceptional color and condition): $20,000–$50,000

Hokusai's actor portraits (yakusha-e) represent his early career in the Katsukawa school tradition. While less celebrated than his landscapes, early impressions with strong color are sought by collectors of Edo-period theater imagery.

Description

A performer specializing in female roles (onnagata) appears in full kabuki costume in this [hosoban](/glossary/hosoban)-format print from 1791, the narrow vertical format traditional for actor portraits of the period. Though Hokusai is primarily remembered for his landscapes, his early career under Katsukawa Shunshō centered on actor prints, and this work shows his facility with the genre's demand for expressive pose and costume detail.