#51 Scene from Act IV
- Date:
- c. 1935
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
$1,500–$10,000. Common prints: $1,500–$3,000. Key value factors: Settai's literary elegance and refined technique have a niche but devoted following among collectors of Japanese aestheticism.
This [oban](/glossary/oban)-format woodblock print from around 1935 illustrates Act IV of a theatrical work, likely from the kabuki or bunraku repertoire that Komura Settai frequently drew upon for his print designs. Settai brings his training as a book illustrator to the composition, framing the scene with a graphic designer's eye for negative space and dramatic placement of figures. The print reflects Settai's deep engagement with Edo-period literary and theatrical culture, which he reinterpreted through a modern sensibility shaped by his study of Art Nouveau and Western design principles. The flat color areas and strong outlines recall [ukiyo-e](/glossary/ukiyo-e) convention while the spatial arrangement feels distinctly twentieth-century.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
#51 Scene from Act IV was created by Komura Settai (小村雪岱) in c. 1935.
#51 Scene from Act IV was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (c. 1935).
#51 Scene from Act IV depicts figures and kabuki.
