Three-panel Japanese woodblock print depicting a dramatic scene with multiple figures in elaborate, colorful robes. On the left panel, several figures appear in midair above a roof under a large moon, while others stand below on clouds or a terrace holding fans and umbrellas. The center panel shows a large figure indoors on a decorated stage, with a smaller seated figure nearby and a ghostly, long-haired figure floating in clouds overhead.

High Drama: Japanese Prints of Theater, Heroes and History

Fay Boyer Preble and Virginia Cooke Murphy Wing

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TOYOHARA Kunichika 豊原国周 (1835-1900). Japanese; Meiji period, 1884. 
Pride of Our Nation: Cloud Pavilion of Associations at First Sunrise of the Year. 
Ukiyo-e woodblock-printed vertical ōban triptych; ink, color and embossing on paper, 14 ⅛ x 28 inches. Gift of the Lee & Mary Jean Michels Collection

This thematic exhibition incorporates student research from History of Art and Architecture Professor Akiko Walley’s Spring 2026 Japanese print course that focused on “the dramatic,” including dynamic prints of Kabuki theaters and actors, changing expressions of human bodies, and dramatizations of historical events and legends. Featuring recent gifts by Lee & Mary Jean Michels and Irwin Lavenberg, the undergraduate and graduate students in the course examined woodblock prints of the 18th-20th centuries that showcased action and powerful emotion with compelling graphic design. The exhibition is complemented by a selection of Japanese modern and contemporary prints, paintings, textiles, decorative arts, addressing the theme of “drama,” and includes a number of recent acquisitions. This exhibition was co-organized by chief curator Anne Rose Kitagawa. 

As a final project, students in Professor Walley’s course conducted original research and composed label texts for select prints from the Michels and Lavenberg collections included in this exhibition. The wall text reflects five notable topics the graduate students in the course selected to capture the theme of “drama” in Japanese commercial woodblock prints of the early modern and modern periods.

Japanese print featuring a large figure in Western-style clothing in the foreground, wearing a jacket, vest, striped trousers, and a patterned cap. One hand is raised holding a short stick, while the other hand is open. Colorful paper slips appear to fall nearby. Above, a smaller inset scene shows a similar figure suspended from a frame resembling a parachute or umbrella structure. The upper portion includes calligraphy panels with dark brushstroke characters on a light background and a bold vertical text block on the right. The palette includes pale blue, cream, black, and muted earth tones.
TOYOHARA Kunichika 豊原国周 (1835-1900). Japanese; Meiji period, 1894. Actors Onoe Kikugorō V as the Englishman Spencer and Onoe Ushinosuke II as Spencer in the distance [inset] in the play Riding the Famous Hot-Air Balloon. Ukiyo-e woodblock print in vertical ōban format; ink and color on paper, 14 ⅜ x 9 ³⁄₁₆ inches. Gift of The Lavenberg Collection of Japanese Prints
Colorful abstract print showing a stylized human-like form reclining or stretching across a background of repeating rainbow arcs. The figure is composed of layered bands of bright colors—yellow, orange, green, red, and blue—with simplified shapes suggesting limbs and scarf-like elements. The backdrop features tightly patterned, scalloped rainbow shapes that radiate outward, creating a vivid, rhythmic effect. The overall style is bold and graphic, with smooth gradients and high contrast.
AY-O 靉嘔 (IIJIMA Takao 飯島隆雄, born 1931). Japanese; Shōwa period, 1984. Sumo Wrestling. Screen print; ink and color on paper, 27 x 35 ¼ inches. Loan from The Lavenberg Collection of Japanese Prints
Stylized Japanese print showing a group of figures clustered on the right, wearing patterned blue garments and holding long red poles tipped with claw-like prongs. Chains connect the poles, which stretch diagonally across the composition. At left, a pale, simplified human figure is pulled forward through the air over curling teal-blue waves. The background is a flat gold field, emphasizing the graphic contrast between the figures, weapons, and stylized water below.
TAKEDA Hideo 武田秀雄 (born 1948). Japanese; Shôwa period, 1985. Drowning of Emperor Antoku, from the series Genpei. Screenprint; ink and color on paper, ed. 64/185, 19 x 25 inches. Museum purchase through the Hartz FUNd for Contemporary Art
Japanese woodblock print depicting a figure in flowing patterned robes climbing a green bamboo ladder up the side of a dark building. The garments billow dramatically in purple, gray, red, and white patterns. Below, flames rise in orange and yellow, with smoke and small figures gathered near the base of the ladder. The upper area shows a pale sky with scattered leaves or debris, and vertical Japanese text appears near the top right.
TSUKIOKA Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 (1839-1892). Japanese; Meiji period, 1885. Oshichi, from the play Pine, Bamboo and Plum: the Transom at Yushima. Ukiyo-e woodblock-printed vertical ōban diptych; ink, color and embossing on paper, 29 x 9 ¾ inches. Gift of the Lee & Mary Jean Michels Collection
SHUNBAISAI Hokuei 春梅齋北英 (active circa 1824-1837). Japanese; Edo period, 1832. Actors Iwai Shijaku I as Kowagi Atsumori and Nakamura Utaemon III as Kumagai Jiro Naozane. Kamigata ukiyo-e woodblock print in vertical ōban format; ink and color on paper with mica, 15 x 10 inches. Gift of the Lee & Mary Jean Michels Collection
Japanese print showing a man in a simple loincloth wringing water from the fabric. Behind him is a body of water. He has long dark hair and another piece of fabric in his teeth, and there is a sword stuck in the ground next to him.
UTAGAWA Kuniyoshi 歌川國芳 (1797-1861). Japanese; Edo period, 1847-1848. Boatman Zhang Heng, from the series One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Water Margin. Ukiyo-e woodblock print in vertical chūban format; ink and color on paper, 9 ¾ x 7 ¼ inches. Gift of the Lee & Mary Jean Michels Collection