pic01792 Tadamasa

The artwork presents a close-up portrait of a male figure, likely a performer in traditional Japanese theatre. The composition is dominated by his face and upper torso, cropped tightly within the rectangular frame. He appears to be mid-performance, conveying intense emotion through exaggerated facial features.
Here we see a dramatic expression: furrowed brows, tightly pressed lips, and wide, staring eyes with vividly painted red irises. The artist has employed bold lines and stark contrasts of color – primarily reds, whites, blacks, and greens – to amplify the theatricality of the moment. A thick layer of white makeup covers his face, typical for Kabuki actors, emphasizing the stylized nature of the performance. The redness around the eyes and nose is a deliberate application to heighten the sense of anguish or fury.
His hair is styled in an elaborate topknot secured with a decorative blue and white cloth, adding another element of visual complexity. A green collar adorns his neck, partially obscuring the upper portion of his costume. The hands are visible at the bottom of the frame, clasped together as if in agitation or restraint.
The Japanese script positioned to the left provides contextual information about the subject and possibly the performance itself; however, without translation, its specific meaning remains inaccessible. The presence of this text reinforces the work’s cultural specificity and suggests it is intended for an audience familiar with these conventions.
Subtly, the cropped composition creates a sense of immediacy and intimacy, drawing the viewer directly into the emotional intensity of the performance. The exaggerated features and theatrical makeup suggest a deliberate blurring of boundaries between reality and representation, characteristic of Kabuki theatres focus on stylized emotion and dramatic effect. The overall impression is one of controlled chaos – a carefully constructed display of heightened feeling designed to evoke a powerful response from the audience.