Items14The creator’s order
  1. 1Kabuki Actor Ōtani Oniji III as Yakko EdobeiKabuki Actor Ōtani Oniji III as Yakko EdobeiTōshūsai Sharaku, 1794. The splayed fingers do nearly as much acting as the face. Sharaku isolates the performer from the stage, so one pose tells you how Ōtani Oniji III played the scheming servant Edobei.0
  2. 2Lovers Walking in the Snow (Crow and Heron)Lovers Walking in the Snow (Crow and Heron)Suzuki Harunobu, 1764–72. The lovers’ black and white robes give the print its bird names, but pay attention to the quieter whites too. Harunobu uses embossing as well as ink, so the snow and the paper’s raised pattern contribute to the hush of the scene.0
  3. 3Sudden Shower at ShōnoSudden Shower at ShōnoUtagawa Hiroshige, 1833–34. The bodies lean, the hats dip, and the rain cuts across the slope. Look at the bamboo growing fainter through the downpour. Hiroshige makes the weather determine how the travelers move and how far the viewer can see.0
  4. 4Sailing Boats – MorningSailing Boats – MorningHiroshi Yoshida, 1926. Look at the sails, pink at the top and blue at the bottom, then see how their reflections break into ripples. Yoshida printed related views from the same blocks with different colors to suggest different times of day, so the same boats can seem to belong to another hour.0
  5. 5Perspective View of the Interior of the Nakamura TheaterPerspective View of the Interior of the Nakamura TheaterOkumura Masanobu, 1740. Start with the rows of lanterns and balcony rails. They recede toward the stage and take your eye into the theater with them. Masanobu helped popularize this approach to perspective in prints. The color on this impression was applied by hand.0
  6. 6The Actor Onoe MatsusukeThe Actor Onoe MatsusukeKatsukawa Shunshō, mid-1700s. The actor’s wide stance and the angle of his staff do much of the work. Shunshō leaves enough space around the figure to show how a Kabuki performer holds the stage with his whole body.0
  7. 7Enjoying the Evening Cool on the Banks of the Sumida RiverEnjoying the Evening Cool on the Banks of the Sumida RiverTorii Kiyonaga, about 1784. Start with the tall figures near the water, then let your eye move along the bank across the two sheets. Kiyonaga uses the diptych to place people in a shared riverside outing, with room for both conversation and a view.0
  8. 8Three Beauties of the Present DayThree Beauties of the Present DayKitagawa Utamaro, about 1793. Start with the fan and the three women’s clothes, then look at the slight turns of their heads. Utamaro gives each woman a distinct presence within a close grouping. The mica in this impression adds sheen to the background.0
  9. 9Kabuki Scene at Kumagai’s CampKabuki Scene at Kumagai’s CampUtagawa Kunisada, 1811. Each sheet gives one Kabuki actor room to strike a pose. Start with the raised fan in the center, then follow the blooming plum tree across the sheets. Kunisada uses the shared setting to hold three distinct performances together as a single scene.0
  10. 10Princess Takiyasha Summons a Skeleton SpecterPrincess Takiyasha Summons a Skeleton SpecterUtagawa Kuniyoshi, about 1844. Follow the ribs and skull as they loom over the human figures and cross the seams. Kuniyoshi uses the three sheets as one continuous stage, making the skeleton’s size part of the story.0