Portrait of Nakamura Utaemon
- Date:
- 1984
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
Description
This 1984 portrait of Nakamura Utaemon stands as a study of one of the twentieth century's most revered kabuki performers. Utaemon VI (1917–2001) dominated the onnagata tradition for decades, his portrayals of princesses, courtesans, and tragic heroines setting the standard against which all subsequent female-role specialists are measured. Kokei's portrait may depict the actor either in role or in a more personal register, but the woodblock medium — with its inherent formality and its connection to centuries of actor portraiture — elevates the image into something between documentation and homage. The print preserves a performing artist at the height of his powers.
More Prints by Tsuruya Kokei
Kataoka Nizaemon XIII as Ishikawa Goemon in the play Sanmon Gosan no Kiri
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Onoe Baiko VII as Masaoka 七世尾上梅幸の乳人政岡 / Bust portraits VIII (Design 4) 第八期大首絵シリーズの４
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Ichikawa Danshiro IV as Akushichibyoe Kagekiyo
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Distant View of Mitsukoshi Movie Theater in Shinjuku from the Sixth Floor of Hoteiya (Hoteiya rokkai kara Shinjuku Mitsukoshi Musashi no kan enbo zu), no. 1 from the series "Scenery of Shinjuku (Gashu Shinjuku fukei)"
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Portrait of Nakamura Utaemon was created by Tsuruya Kokei (弦屋光溪) in 1984.
Portrait of Nakamura Utaemon depicts kabuki and portraits.