Entry by Justin Guzman: The Actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VII as Soga Gorō

Here we have a visual representation or woodblock print of one of the greatest actors of the nineteenth century. His name was Danjuro Vii and he was playing the character Soga Goro which happened to be arguably the most important role of the Kabuki stage. In the performance Soga Goro and his brother act with a vengeance against the people who murdered their father. The makeup that he wore displayed how his emotions should be interpreted throughout the play. Kabuki makeup typically underlines the veins and muscles in the face to evoke dramatic emotions and expressions. The sword that he carries represents the action that he's willing to take to fulfill his vengeance. His hair style seems very traditional and it matches the makeup and the theme of the play perfectly. It captures how devoted the character Soga Goro is when it comes to traditions and his principles. It's said this was created around the time when Kabuki was most popular near the modern era when Japan was at war. This was drawn by Torii Tadamasa who studied under one of the last traditional actor print artists, Tori Kiyotaka. This illustration is meant to capture the history of Kabuki's success throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Author: Justin Guzman