ELIZABETH KEITH (1881-1956)
Shigeyama, Kyogen Actor in 'San-ba-so', Kyoto
1936Colour woodcut | 63.5 x 51.0 cm (frame, external) | RCIN 504348
The Scottish artist Elizabeth Keith first travelled to Japan in 1915, where she spent two years learning to carve and print woodblocks. This print shows an actor dressed for a comic interlude within a Nō play, the classical dance-drama of Japan. The composition reflects the long tradition of actor prints from the Edo period: the performer holds a pose in costume, as if captured mid-performance.