Katsukawa Shunshō 勝川春章

These prints depict Segawa Kikunojō I, Kikunojō II, and Kikunojō III, famous onnagata (女方), or actors who portrayed legendary beauties and heroines in the Kabuki theater of the 1700s and early 1800s. Onnagata set trends and broke boundaries beyond the theather. Kikunojō I was said to have lived like a woman, imbuing his performance with realism; Kikunojō II was so popular, fashion items were named after him; and Kikunojō III, said to have excelled in courtesan roles, had cosmetics branded after him. The actors appear here dressed as women, their hair arranged according to the latest styles of the day. For many Japanese people, they symbolized the pinnacle of femininity and womanhood.