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Artwork

東海寄談音児館|Onoe Kikugorō V as Otowake Neko no ke (Right), Bandō Mitsugorō IV as Aishō Michinoku (Center), Onoe Kikugorō V as Isogai Mibunosuke (Left) in the Kabuki play Tōkai Kidan Nekomata Yashiki

Toyohara Kunichika , 1870

東海寄談音児館|Onoe Kikugorō V as Otowake Neko no ke (Right), Bandō Mitsugorō IV as Aishō Michinoku (Center), Onoe Kikugorō V as Isogai Mibunosuke (Left) in the Kabuki play Tōkai Kidan Nekomata Yashiki, by Toyohara Kunichika, ink, 1870
東海寄談音児館|Onoe Kikugorō V as Otowake Neko no ke (Right), Bandō Mitsugorō IV as Aishō Michinoku (Center), Onoe Kikugorō V as Isogai Mibunosuke (Left) in the Kabuki play Tōkai Kidan Nekomata Yashiki, by Toyohara Kunichika, ink, 1870

東海寄談音児館|Onoe Kikugorō V as Otowake Neko no ke (Right), Bandō Mitsugorō IV as Aishō Michinoku (Center), Onoe Kikugorō V as Isogai Mibunosuke (Left) in the Kabuki play Tōkai Kidan Nekomata Yashiki is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Toyohara Kunichika. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This triptych woodblock print, created in 1870 by Toyohara Kunichika, depicts three actors from a kabuki performance. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds this work, which combines ink and color on paper to capture a dramatic scene.

Subject & Meaning

The print shows Onoe Kikugorō V and Bandō Mitsugorō IV performing in the kabuki play Tōkai Kidan Nekomata Yashiki. The actors' stylized costumes and exaggerated expressions convey the emotional intensity of the scene, with each character distinguished by their attire and props.

Technique & Style

The artist's use of bright colors and bold composition creates a dynamic visual effect. The dark background, featuring swirling clouds and subtle details like birds, adds depth to the scene, while the actors' stylized faces and costumes embody the traditional Japanese theater style.

Artist & collection

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