Matsumoto Koshiro IV as Tsurifune no Sabu - Katsushika Hokusai

A woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai depicting the actor Matsumoto Koshiro IV as Tsurifune no Sabu, showcasing the artist's mastery of the ukiyo-e style and his interest in kabuki theatre.

This woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) depicts the actor Matsumoto Koshiro IV in the role of Tsurifune no Sabu. Hokusai, a Japanese artist, is best known for his woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, which includes the iconic print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. He produced a wide range of art, including ukiyo-e, paintings, and book illustrations, throughout his long career. Ukiyo-e, meaning 'pictures of the floating world', is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Artists produced woodblock prints and paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes from history and folk tales; travel views and, of course, flora and fauna. Ukiyo-e prints were affordable and widely accessible, influencing Western art movements such as Impressionism and Art Nouveau. In this print, Matsumoto Koshiro IV is shown in costume, wearing a striped kimono and sandals. He is holding a sword, and his face is painted with dramatic makeup typical of kabuki theatre. The background includes lanterns and a suggestion of interior architecture, rendered in flat planes of colour and line. The print exemplifies Hokusai's skill in capturing the essence of kabuki theatre and his mastery of the ukiyo-e style.