The Actor Ichikawa Uzaemon in the role of Shirai Gonpachi

Shirai Gonpachi is the romantic young samurai of the play 'Suzugamori,' known for his encounter with the otokodate Banzuiin Chôbei at the execution ground of the same name; the role demands beauty and a fated melancholy that played to the strengths of the Ichikawa Uzaemon line. Shunsen's portrait presents the actor in costume and makeup specific to the performance—likely a subdued violet or olive kimono, the youthful wakashû mage hairstyle, and the alert facial set the role calls for in its dramatic moments. The composition follows Shunsen's preferred bust format, the figure isolated against a plain ground with kira-zuri mica or color bokashi setting off the painted face. Printed by the Watanabe atelier, the sheet exemplifies the technical precision of late shin-hanga production: separate blocks for each hue, embossing for the wig texture, and overprinted black for tonal accents. It joins a sustained body of romantic sewamono portraits in Shunsen's output.