Oriental Masterprint – 13, from the series Oriental Masterprints
Roger Shimomura American
Not on view
The artist has created a three-quarter view of an actor whose white made-up face stands in stark contrast to the deep blue background, made with ink bamboo. To Edo-period Kabuki and ukiyo-e print buffs, the image evokes the profile of the famous actor Sawamura Sōjūrō III (1753–1801) performing a role that required a wig with bushy hair, such as that of Monk Seigen, who appears in various plays as a rebellious abbot of Kiyomizudera Temple in Kyoto and becomes infatuated with Princess Sakura.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
