The Actor Otani Tomoemon VI as Kan Shojo (Sugawara Michizane), from the series “Collection of Portraits by Shunsen (Shunsen nigao shu)"
- Date:
- 1927
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print; oban
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 40.5 × 27.5 cm
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Edition:
- Published by Watanabe Shozaburo
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
From the Shunsen nigao shu (1927), this print depicts Otani Tomoemon VI in the role of Kan Shojo — the historical scholar and statesman Sugawara Michizane, who was deified after his unjust exile and death as the patron deity of learning. In kabuki, Kan Shojo appears in the monumental Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, and his role combines the dignity of a great court official with the pathos of undeserved fall. Shunsen renders Tomoemon's portrayal with exceptional solemnity: the face of a man whose dignity remains intact in the face of injustice.
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Actor Otani Tomoemon VI as Kan Shojo (Sugawara Michizane), from the series “Collection of Portraits by Shunsen (Shunsen nigao shu)" was created by Natori Shunsen (名取春仙) in 1927.
Yes — The Actor Otani Tomoemon VI as Kan Shojo (Sugawara Michizane), from the series “Collection of Portraits by Shunsen (Shunsen nigao shu)" is part of the Creative Prints: Collection of Portraits of Actors series by Natori Shunsen.
The Actor Otani Tomoemon VI as Kan Shojo (Sugawara Michizane), from the series “Collection of Portraits by Shunsen (Shunsen nigao shu)" was published by Watanabe Shozaburo (1927).
The Actor Otani Tomoemon VI as Kan Shojo (Sugawara Michizane), from the series “Collection of Portraits by Shunsen (Shunsen nigao shu)" depicts kabuki.
The Actor Otani Tomoemon VI as Kan Shojo (Sugawara Michizane), from the series “Collection of Portraits by Shunsen (Shunsen nigao shu)" measures 40.5 × 27.5 cm (Oban format).