From the Stage to the Page: Katsukawa Kabuki Prints

Grace Wu – May 7, 2022

---

The latest exhibition of Japanese prints at the Art Institute of Chicago celebrates the rich culture of Kabuki theater and floating world prints during the Edo period (1615-1868). The first rotation of The Golden Age of Kabuki Prints featured the work of the Katsukawa School and their depictions of iconic Kabuki actors, and the ukiyo-e prints were on view in the Clarence Buckingham Gallery of Japanese Prints from January 15 to April 10, 2022. Curated by Janice Katz, the Roger L. Weston Associate Curator of Japanese Art, the first rotation showcased a selection of just under 50 prints from more than 700 Katsukawa School prints in the Art Institute’s collection. The actor-prints of male characters all depicted the mie [Fig. 1], an energetic moment of intense expression and dramatic body posturing that would have been performed at the crucial part of the drama; and the actor-prints of onnagata [Fig. 2], or female characters who were played by men, included courtesans and other female protagonists. Complementing the actor-prints were two display cases that showcased illustrated books of poets of the historical past and fan Kabuki prints [Fig. 3]. Kabuki theater is known for its liveliness and spectacle, and the exhibition allows modern-day museumgoers to enjoy performance art through static two-dimensional representations of the actors. 

[Fig. 1]

[Fig. 2]

[Fig. 3]

[Fig. 1] From the wall text at the Art Institute: “In this print, Nakamura Nakazō I holds a precious mirror that his character has just stolen. His body is bent in a powerful mie, or dramatic pose, and his strong eyebrows, blue-painted face, and downturned mouth are meant to convey his cunning and deception.” 
Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川 春章, The Actor Nakamura Nakazō I as Osada no Tarō in the play “Ima o Sakari Suehiro Genji (The Genji Clan Now at Its Zenith)”, c. 1768, color woodblock print, 30.5 × 14.4 cm, 1938.479. Image courtesy of The Art Institute of Chicago. 
[Fig. 2] Katsukawa Shun’ei 勝川 春英, The Actor Nakamura Noshio II as Tonase, in “Model for Kana Calligraphy: Treasury of the 47 Loyal Retainers (Kanadehon chushingura)”, c. 1795, color woodblock print, 37.2 × 25.1 cm, 1925.2373. Image courtesy of The Art Institute of Chicago. 
[Fig. 3] A book containing stage fans that feature then-popular Kabuki actors. The book would have also included instructions on how to fold the prints into fans with stick boning, according to Katz. The inclusion of these books in the exhibition demonstrates that people living in Edo Japan enjoyed Kabuki prints on flat paper and in three-dimensional forms, further calling attention to the interactive nature of these prints. 
(left) Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川 春章 and Ippitsusai Bunchō 一筆斎文調, Ichimura Uzaemon from “A Picture Book of Stage Fans (Ehon butai ōgi)”, 1770, color woodblock-printed book, 761.952. 
(right) Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川 春章 and Ippitsusai Bunchō 一筆斎文調, Ichikawa Danzō III from “A Picture Book of Stage Fans (Ehon butai ōgi)”, 1770, color woodblock-printed book, 761.952. 

One can enter the Buckingham Gallery through the Roger L. and Pamela Weston Wing or the greater Japanese Art wing. When entering from the brightly lit Weston Wing, one’s eyes adjust to the comparative low light of the exhibit, as prints and their pigments are sensitive to light exposure. To the right of the entryway, diptychs and triptychs of actors from the same scene were matted within the same frame. The continuation of the background allowed museumgoers to imagine the actors interacting with one another on stage, such as in the historical-fiction drama “Muromacho Chronicle in the Kana Script” [Fig. 4]. The middle portion of the west wall highlighted actors’ repertoires by displaying groupings of two or three Shunshō prints of the same actor in different dramas [Fig. 5]. Although the faces are contorted by the mie, contemporary fans of Kabuki theater would have been able to recognize actors through the Katsukawa School’s codification of performers’ features, gestures, and poses. The last section of the east wall featured actor-prints attributed to Katsukawa Shun’ei 勝川 春英. At the southern end of the hall, the gallery opened to other parts of the Japanese Art wing, including “The Culture of Tea from the Edo Period to Today.” The position of the gallery allowed for a seamless temporal and material transition between the premodern and contemporary stoneware teapots to Edo period prints. Continuing further counter-clockwise around the Buckingham Gallery, one encountered two illustrated poetry books [Fig. 6] by Katsukawa School founder Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川 春章 that featured portraits of female historical figures, such as poets and courtiers. Along the east wall lined a series of onnagata actor-prints, and their placement across the gallery drew connections between male and female Kabuki roles. The last section of the gallery featured the exhibit description, a sample of Kabuki prints, and a display case containing two more Shunshō actor-related books. Each section of the gallery has been carefully arranged with consideration of their relation to other prints and objects, and the museumgoer is encouraged to explore the artwork at their own pace and traverse out of this viewing order [Fig. 7]. 

[Fig. 4]

[Fig. 5]

[Fig. 6]

[Fig. 7]

[Fig. 4] Hobosan triptych of Katsukawa Shun’ei 勝川 春英 prints relating to the drama “Muromacho Chronicle in Kana Script (Kanagaki Muromachi bundan)”
From left to right:* 
Actor Sawamura Sōjūrō III as Oda Kazusanosuke Harunaga, c. 1791, color woodblock print, 32.5 × 15 cm, 1980.276b 
Actor Sakata Hangorō III as Takechi Mitsuhide, c. 1791, color woodblock print, 32 × 14.6 cm, 1980.276a 
Actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Mori no Rammaru, c. 1791, color woodblock print, 32 × 14.4 cm, 1939.2216 
*The museum label swapped the information of the center and left prints. I have referenced the online museum catalog to present the correct titles and accession numbers here. 
[Fig. 5] (left) Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川 春章, Actor Ichikawa Danjūrō IV as Taira no Tomomori disguised as Tokaiya Gimpei in “Yoshitsune’s Thousand Cherry Trees (Yoshitsune Sembon-zakura)”, color woodblock print, c. 1767, 32.2 × 15.4 cm, 1939.665. 
(right) Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川 春章, Actor Ichikawa Danjūrō IV possibly as Tenjiku Tokubei in “Tenjiku Tokubei Turns the Helm toward Home (Tenjiku Tokubei Kokyo no Torikaji)”, color woodblock print, c. 1768, 32.8 × 15.4 cm, 1925.2385. 
[Fig. 6] Although the books in the display case do not feature Kabuki actors, the wall text alludes to the reasoning behind their inclusion by writing: Shunshō’s “ability to characterize the faces of contemporary actors was also useful in portraying poets of past ages.” This book was one of two in the display case, and the individuals depicted are ninth-century female poets Ono no Komachi and Lady Ise. The Japanese script is written with quick brushstrokes, which was associated with femininity. 
Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川 春章, One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets in Eastern Brocade (Nishiki hyakunin isshū azuma-ori), 1765, color woodblock-printed book, 761.952. 
[Fig. 7] A view of half of the Clarence Buckingham Gallery of Japanese Prints. At right are actor-prints attributed to Katsukawa Shun’ei 勝川 春英, and at left is a display box containing two illustrated poetry books by Katsukawa School founder Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川 春章 (see Fig. 6 for detail). To the immediate left of this gallery (not pictured) was the exhibit “The Culture of Tea from the Edo Period to Today.” 

In displaying samples of the Art Institute’s strong collection of Japanese woodblock prints, Katz hoped to appeal to the general public and scholars alike. The exhibition allowed museumgoers to understand actor-prints’ reflection of the cultural and economic scene in Edo Japan. To escape the rigid confines of the shogunate government, people from all walks of life flocked to Kabuki performances to watch their favorite actors perform in dramas based on ancient historical events and myths. Publishers recognized a market demand and mass-produced woodblock prints featuring the actors, which people collected and enjoyed in a similar manner to movie posters. Thus, Kabuki prints pose an interesting question of what the modern-day viewer and museum institution considers as ‘art’ worthy of display. Secondly, Katz hoped that the exhibition would serve as a place of inspiration and inquiry for future art historical research. By showcasing prints with incomplete biographical information and imperfect conditions — yet interesting content, Katz signaled to the scholarly community to visit the museum’s collection and delve into further inquiry. 

In curating this exhibition, Katz made purposeful decisions to present the selected prints. As one walks around the gallery, one notices that the actor-prints are all matted to roughly the same size despite having varying dimensions — this is no accident. Although smaller (and equally notable) prints also reside in the Art Institute’s collection, according to Katz, the curator forgoed those in favor of larger Kabuki prints, which presented as more impactful and aesthetic in the gallery. She also designed the groupings of the prints to be dramatic and meaningful to draw in and engage the viewer. Katz also opted to group prints together by themes and aesthetic value, as she says chronological presentations are often lost when museumgoers do not read the wall labels. Fortunately, in terms of other curatorial executions such as conservation and financial constraints, the Art Institute has systems in place that allows for a seamless transition between exhibitions. As part of the permanent collection, The Golden Age of Kabuki Prints’ exhibition costs are covered by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group’s sponsorship. There also exists a three- to four-months’ lead time for the in-house conservation team to inspect, and treat if needed, prints before they are placed on view. The gallery closed for a week in April while museum staff installed the second rotation of The Golden Age of Kabuki Prints, which is now on view. 

I believe the first rotation of the exhibition was successful in its main objectives of displaying the Art Institute’s collection of Kabuki prints for public view and inspiring viewers to engage with floating world prints further, though modifications can be made to better immerse the viewer. The purposeful thematic groupings allowed viewers to digest the prints by subject matter; even if museumgoers do not read the wall labels, they could still visually understand that prints in proximity on the wall have some sort of a connection. However, I believe future renditions of this exhibition can be made stronger by considering the inclusion of time-based media to enhance the viewing experience. Kabuki performances are lively and historically enjoyed in packed theaters, so viewing static prints on a wall and in display boxes seemed unnatural to me. Also, the exhibition did not mention the economic context of Kabuki prints, such as the immense influence of publishers on subject matter, which I find critical in understanding their manufacturing and dissemination. The exhibition presented the prints themselves well, but it was personally dissatisfying to consider the actor-prints without a stronger context of how the actors’ performances were produced and enjoyed by their contemporaries. As art historians continue to consider how to decolonize art historical methods, I think it would be important to provide stronger contextual and sensorial details for the very culture these prints embody. Whatever one’s opinion on the style of presentation is, one must acknowledge that the existence of the exhibition itself elevated these collectible movie poster-style prints to the level of artwork that is celebrated, framed, and displayed in a museum. 

The second rotation of The Golden Age of Kabuki Prints, which displays more of the 700 Katsukawa School prints in the Art Institute’s collection, is currently on view in the Clarence Buckingham Gallery of Japanese Prints from April 16 to June 26, 2022. 

---

Special thanks to Janice Katz, the Roger L. Weston Associate Curator of Japanese Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, for giving a talk to my Introduction to Asian Art class. Her curatorial comments and knowledge of Kabuki contributed greatly to my understanding and appreciation of the exhibit and the production of this article.