1902, Tsukioka Kōgyo, Asagao, from the series Nōgaku zue -- National Museum of Asian Art (Washington)
From the museum label: This rendering of the play Asagao offers a glimpse at the actor putting on his costume while a stagehand peeks out from behind the curtain. Such backstage exposure is unprecedented in noh imagery and effectively deletes its spiritual nature. Here, Kōgyo has stripped the play's protagonist of their ethereality and represents them as simply a person in costume.
1902, Tsukioka Kōgyo, Asagao, from the series Nōgaku zue -- National Museum of Asian Art (Washington)
From the museum label: This rendering of the play Asagao offers a glimpse at the actor putting on his costume while a stagehand peeks out from behind the curtain. Such backstage exposure is unprecedented in noh imagery and effectively deletes its spiritual nature. Here, Kōgyo has stripped the play's protagonist of their ethereality and represents them as simply a person in costume.