The Actor Bando Mitsugoro as a Man in Sumptuous Raiment, Standing in a Field, Mount Fuji in the Background

In this diptych, Mount Fuji towers in the background of the composition. Its imposing symmetry is central to the artwork’s presence and meaning. The figure on the left, probably the acclaimed Kabuki actor 二代目坂東 三津五郎 [BANDO Mitsugoro II], interprets the role of a nobleman looking at a luscious field at the feet of the holy mountain. To the right, another figure completes the diptych. If the male presence to the left is assertive, stern, and regal, the female figure seems sly, coquettish, and sophisticated. Applying modern terms, the rightmost figure is performing femininity and womanhood through cosmetics, attire, accessories, posture, and demeanor. The straw hat protects the pallor of the skin from the “low class” bronze tone gained from working on the fields. The lips are puckered and crimson. This sense of beauty through artifice evokes the kabuki stage, or the makeup of highly skilled artists and entertainers known as 芸者 [geisha]. She hides a black lacquered box from her male counterpart. Her kimono is bound with a dark colored 帯 [obi] sash tied in front: a beautiful yet relatively uncommon usage reserved either for the stage or high-status courtesans known as 花魁 [oiran]. Peeking out from her kimono, two delicate feet appear covered in white 足袋 [tabi] socks and white 草履 [zōri] feminine sandals, in contrast to the boxy wooden 下駄 [geta] sandals of her counterpart. Their footwear, and their clothes overall, would not be well suited for an outing to the foot of Mount Fuji, imbuing both prints with a sense of whimsy.

Woodblock print (nishiki-e)