Shunshosai - Actor Nakamura Utaemon II

Shunshosai Hokuchō (active 1822–1830)

Date: 1822
Publisher: Yamaichi
Genre: Ukiyo-e, Yakusha-e
Medium: Original Woodblock Print, Oban

A single panel from a diptych. The actor Nakamura Utaemon II as Ishikawa Goemon.「けいせい滝川　中村三光」（初代）　　「石川五右衛門　中村歌右衛門」（二代目）
From the kabuki play: Kamagafuchi Futatsu-domoe.

Shunshōsai Hokuchō (active c. 1822–1830) was an ukiyo-e artist based in Osaka and a student of Shunkōsai Hokushū. He is best known for his expressive portraits of Kabuki actors, created during the golden age of kamigata-e—woodblock prints produced in the Kyoto and Osaka region.

Unlike the commercial print industry of Edo, many kamigata-e artists were passionate Kabuki enthusiasts who created prints to celebrate their favorite performers. Hokuchō's works reflect this tradition, capturing actors in dramatic roles with lively expression and careful attention to costume and gesture.

Although his career was relatively brief, Hokuchō's prints are admired today for their strong designs and are among the finest examples of Osaka actor prints from the early nineteenth century.

Condition: Faded colors, Edo-era backing and tape remnants.