Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章) was a Japanese printmaker active primarily in the mid-eighteenth century, with documented works spanning the period 1726 to 1767. His artistic output focused heavily on subjects derived from the kabuki stage and classical literature, typical of the ukiyo-e tradition.

Fifteen of Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)'s prints are represented in institutional holdings, including works preserved by the Art Institute of Chicago. The detailed quality visible in works such as The Earth Spider Slain by Brave Samurai Watanabe no Tauna establishes their museum-quality status and importance in documenting historical Japanese iconography.

The majority of documented works are actor portraits (yakusha-e) that serve as visual records of specific theatrical performances. These include the portrayal of The Actor Otani Hiroji III as Onio Shinzaemon (?) in the play Bunshin Sugatami Soga (?), performed in 1765 (?), and The Actor Ichikawa Danzo III as Sanada no Yoichi (?) in Sanada no Yoichi Banjaku no Iezuto (?), performed in 1767 (?).

Shunsho also explored narrative subjects, evidenced by the plate "Ra": Narihira Requests a Painting from a Former Lover, which belongs to the series Tales of Ise in Fashionable Brocade Pictures (Furyu nishiki-e Ise monogatari). Many Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章) prints have entered the public domain, making high-quality prints of his theatrical documentation widely accessible for study.

555 works in collection

Works in Collection

The Actors Yamashita Yaozo I as Ono no Komachi (right), Matsumoto Koshiro II as Godai Saburo (center), and Ichikawa Danzo III as Otomo no Kuronushi (left), in the play "Kuni no Hana Ono no Itsumoji," performed at the Nakamura Theater in the eleventh month, 1771

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1767–1777

Weaving silk, plate 11 from the series "Silkworm Cultivation (Kaiko yashinai gusa)"

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1767–1777

Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Shimokōbe Shōji Yukihira and Segawa Yūjiro I as Matsukaze, Sister of Togashi no Saemon, in “Your Favorite Play: The Subscription List” (Gohiiki Kanjinchō)

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Shimokōbe Shōji Yukihira and Segawa Yūjiro I as Matsukaze, Sister of Togashi no Saemon, in “Your Favorite Play: The Subscription List” (Gohiiki Kanjinchō)

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Arashi Hinaji I as Hananoi in the Play Gosho-zakura Horikawa Youchi, Performed at the Ichimura Theater in the Fourth Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Arashi Sangoro II as Asahina Saburo in the Play Iro Maki-e Soga no Sakazuki, Performed at the Morita Theater in the First Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Arashi Sangoro II as Asahina Saburo in the Play Iro Maki-e Soga no Sakazuki, Performed at the Morita Theater in the First Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Bando Matataro IV as Bando Taro in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Bando Mitsugoro I as Abbot Saimyo-ji Tokiyori, Disguised as a Monk, in the Joruri "Onna Hachi no Ki" (A Female Version of "The Potted Trees") from Part Two of the Play Onna Aruji Hatsuyuki no Sekai (A Woman as Master: The World of the First Snow), Performed at the Morita Theater from the First Day of the Eleventh Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as Atomi no Ichii in the Play Miya-bashira Iwao no Butai, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Seventh Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as Chichibu no Shigetada

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as Moriya no Daijin Disguised as Rokuju-rokubu in the Play Miya-bashira Iwao no Butai, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Seventh Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V in an Unidentified Role

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Ichikawa Ebizo III as Akushichibyoe Kagekiyo (?) in the Play Wada Sakamori Eiga Kagami (?), Performed at the Nakamura Theater (?) in the Third Month, 1773 (?)

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Shinokobe Shoji Yukihira in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo II as Hiranoya Tokubei (?) in the Play Wada Sakamori Eiga Kagami (?), Performed at the Nakamura Theater (?) in the Third Month, 1773 (?)

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Iwai Hanshiro IV as Princess Sakura (Sakura Hime) in the Play Wada Sakamori Eiga Kagami, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Third Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Matsumoto Koshiro IV as Matsuo-maru in the Play Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Ninth Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Nakamura Juzo II as Akita Jonosuke in the Play Onna Aruji Hatsuyuki no Sekai, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

The Actor Nakamura Juzo II as Asahara Hachiro Disguised as the Servant of a Princely Family, in the Play Onna Aruji Hatsuyuki no Sekai, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)

1768–1778

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川 春章)

Works in Collection

The Actors Yamashita Yaozo I as Ono no Komachi (right), Matsumoto Koshiro II as Godai Saburo (center), and Ichikawa Danzo III as Otomo no Kuronushi (left), in the play "Kuni no Hana Ono no Itsumoji," performed at the Nakamura Theater in the eleventh month, 1771

Weaving silk, plate 11 from the series "Silkworm Cultivation (Kaiko yashinai gusa)"

Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Shimokōbe Shōji Yukihira and Segawa Yūjiro I as Matsukaze, Sister of Togashi no Saemon, in “Your Favorite Play: The Subscription List” (Gohiiki Kanjinchō)

Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Shimokōbe Shōji Yukihira and Segawa Yūjiro I as Matsukaze, Sister of Togashi no Saemon, in “Your Favorite Play: The Subscription List” (Gohiiki Kanjinchō)

The Actor Arashi Hinaji I as Hananoi in the Play Gosho-zakura Horikawa Youchi, Performed at the Ichimura Theater in the Fourth Month, 1773

The Actor Arashi Sangoro II as Asahina Saburo in the Play Iro Maki-e Soga no Sakazuki, Performed at the Morita Theater in the First Month, 1773

The Actor Arashi Sangoro II as Asahina Saburo in the Play Iro Maki-e Soga no Sakazuki, Performed at the Morita Theater in the First Month, 1773

The Actor Bando Matataro IV as Bando Taro in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1773

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as Atomi no Ichii in the Play Miya-bashira Iwao no Butai, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Seventh Month, 1773

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as Chichibu no Shigetada

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as Moriya no Daijin Disguised as Rokuju-rokubu in the Play Miya-bashira Iwao no Butai, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Seventh Month, 1773

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V in an Unidentified Role

The Actor Ichikawa Ebizo III as Akushichibyoe Kagekiyo (?) in the Play Wada Sakamori Eiga Kagami (?), Performed at the Nakamura Theater (?) in the Third Month, 1773 (?)

The Actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Shinokobe Shoji Yukihira in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1773

The Actor Ichikawa Yaozo II as Hiranoya Tokubei (?) in the Play Wada Sakamori Eiga Kagami (?), Performed at the Nakamura Theater (?) in the Third Month, 1773 (?)

The Actor Iwai Hanshiro IV as Princess Sakura (Sakura Hime) in the Play Wada Sakamori Eiga Kagami, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Third Month, 1773

The Actor Matsumoto Koshiro IV as Matsuo-maru in the Play Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Ninth Month, 1773

The Actor Nakamura Juzo II as Akita Jonosuke in the Play Onna Aruji Hatsuyuki no Sekai, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1773

The Actor Nakamura Juzo II as Asahara Hachiro Disguised as the Servant of a Princely Family, in the Play Onna Aruji Hatsuyuki no Sekai, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1773

Katsukawa Shunsho (勝川春章)