The Actors Nakamura Tomijuro I and Nakamura Noshio I

Object Details

• Artist

  Ippitsusai Buncho 一筆斎文調 (active ca. 1755-1790)

• Label

  The famous Kabuki actor Nakamura Tomijuro I (1719-1816) sits in the foreground, holding a banner with a painting of a horse. Behind him is his son-in-law, Nakamura Noshio I (1752-1777), who holds a courtier's hat and robe. Both actors were famous for playing female (onnagata) roles, as in this scene, and Tomijuro was a son of the preeminent onnagata Yoshizawa Ayame I (1673-1729). After establishing their reputations in their native Kamigata (Kyoto and Osaka) region, Noshio and Tomijuro traveled in 1770 to Edo and acted together there. Buncho's prints make effective use of the relatively limited palette of early full-color printing and also of the narrow hosoban format that was prevalent at the time. The introspective expression of his subjects is unusual and reflects his personal approach to print design.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Floating World: Ukiyo-e Paintings and Prints (December 8, 2002 to May 26, 2003)

  Japanese Theatre in the Edo Period (July 22, 1985 to October 15, 1985)

  A Decade of Discovery: Selected Acquisitions 1970-1980 (November 9, 1979 to May 22, 1980)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of the family of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer

• Type

  Print

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Ippitsusai, Buncho

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Theater, Yakusha-e, Art, Actors and actresses, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Ukiyo-e, Hosoban

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Prints