Dramatic Impressions: Japanese Actor Engravings

Wooden engravings of actors on the stage Kabuki began to flourish in the late seventeenth century in the great cities of Japan. As the most significant form of urban entertainment, kabuki enlivened vivid scenes from dramatic storylines, in turn funny, tragic, breathtaking, or bawdy. Pictures of actors, oryakusha-e, were inextricably linked with the world of theater and the fan-culture that he promoted. Printed portraits can highlight exciting moments of suspense or dramatic tension. First of all, they captured the actor's distinctive poses, making the actor significant thanks to his most characteristic expressions and recognizable roles. Taken from the museum's collection "Dramatic Impressions: Japanese Actor Engravings”Give an insight into celebrity culture by combining 37 engravings with actors from the 18th and 20th centuries.