Nakamura Kichiemon I
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Publisher:
- Watanabe Shozaburo
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Description
This oban woodblock print is a straightforward portrait of Nakamura Kichiemon I, presented without reference to a specific role. Kichiemon was the most celebrated kabuki actor of his generation, and Toyonari depicted him more often than any other performer. Unlike the role-specific prints where costume and character define the image, this portrait focuses on Kichiemon as himself, capturing the personal presence behind the theatrical masks. The woodblock rendering isolates the actor's features with the directness of a photographic portrait, but filtered through Toyonari's graphic sensibility. The print may represent Kichiemon in a rehearsal or off-stage context, or it may be a generalized likeness intended to honor the actor's stature. Either way, it documents the face of a man who defined an era of kabuki.
More Prints by Yamamura Toyonari
Actor Ichikawa Danshirō II as Henmi Tesshinsai
1919
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō VII as Sukeroku
1920
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
After Yamamura, Toyonari
Woodblock print
Dancing at the New Carlton Café in Shanghai
1924
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper with mica
More Kabuki Prints
Kabuki Theater
歌舞伎
Woodblock print
Onoe Shoroku II as the tattooed villain Danshichi
1955
Woodblock print
View of Kabuki Theater from Matsuya (Ginza Matsuya yori Kabukiza), no. 3 from the series "Pictures of Ginza, First Series (Gashu Ginza dai isshu)"
1928
Color lithograph
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)"
1930
Color lithograph
Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nakamura Kichiemon I was created by Yamamura Toyonari (山村豊成).
Nakamura Kichiemon I was published by Watanabe Shozaburo.
Nakamura Kichiemon I depicts kabuki.