Katsukawa Shunjō

Katsukawa Shunjō was a prolific artist active across the eighteenth century, spanning the years 1700 to 1782. Their known output focuses on printmaking, with subject matter concentrating heavily on the theatrical world and portraits of Kabuki actors.

The artist’s work is represented in major international institutions through eleven documented prints preserved in museum collections. These images frequently capture specific roles and moments from contemporary drama, exemplified by works such as An Unidentified Actor in the Role of a Samurai and the action-oriented study An Actor of the Bando Line as an Outlaw Brought to Bay on the Bank of a River. Shunjō also focused on individual characterizations, seen in The Third Segawa Kikunojo as a Woman and Ichikawa Monnosuke II Standing Beside a Stone Box.

The significance of these Katsukawa Shunjō prints is validated by their inclusion in authoritative American institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Many of these museum-quality works are now digitized and available as high-quality prints, contributing valuable visual documentation of the era.