Untitled actor print

Catalog note / 解説

This fine study of an actor is illustrated in "The New Wave. 20th.c. Prints from the Robert O Mueller Collection". Plate 207. We have shown the entry from this book. Please read the text in the photos which gives details of the print and artist. Since the book was published it has been discovered that the series is "Dai Chikamatsu Zenshu" (The Great Collection of Works by Chikamatsu). Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1724) is often referred to as the Shakespeare of Japan. He is known to have written 97 drama of which 74 are historical. Many Japanese would be very familiar with the plays. None of the prints in the series has titles, most just have the names of the block cutter and the printer in t…