Acrobats on a Ladder
18th-19th century
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
20266
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of-period Japan (1603–1868), Utagawa Toyokuni (1769–1825) captured the thrill of street performances in *Acrobats on a Ladder*, a color woodblock print from the 18th to early 19th century. As a master of the Uawa school and ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), Toyokuni specialized in dynamic yakusha-e prints of kabuki actors, but here he turns to acrobats—itinerant entertainers who dazzled urban crowds with daring feats. The narrow hosoban format (roughly 7 x 13 inches) suggests it was designed for intimate viewing, perhaps as part of a diptych or personal collectio...
About the Artist
Utagawa Toyokuni I · 1777–1835
Japanese, 1777–1835