Katsukawa Shunshô. 1726?-1792)
The Actor Otani Hiroyemon II. c. 1780. Hosoban: 12 5/16 x 5 7/8. Signed "Shunshô ga." Good color and condition. $850
Shunshôfirst studied painting, and then turned to woodblocks. His early prints, influenced by Harunobu, depict bijin; but from the 1760s he concentrated on portraits of actors. His most important contribution to the genre was his widely influential 'nise-e' ("likeness painting") or 'nigao' ("likenesses"), which were stylized but accurate facial likenesses of actors. These introduced a greater measure of realism and individualism into ukiyo-e actor portraits.
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