Actor in riding garb
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
21.9 × 19.3 cm (8 5/8 × 7 5/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
23475
Art Historical Context
Behold the captivating *Actor in Riding Garb* (1834), a exquisite color woodblock print bytagawa Kunisada, also known as Toyok III. This master of the ukiyo-e tradition—Japan's "pictures of the floating world"—specialized in vibrant depictions of kabuki theater stars, capturing their dramatic personas with unparalleled flair. Printed in the intimate shikishiban (a square 21.9 × 19.3 cm sheet), it showcases an actor poised in elaborate riding attire, evoking the theatrical splendor of Edo-period (1603–1868) Japan. As a surimono, or luxury print, this work was likely a privately commissioned Ne...
About the Artist
Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III) · 1786–1864
Utagawa Kunisada I, also known as Toyokuni III (1786–1865), was born Sumida Shōgorō in the Honjo district of Edo (modern Tokyo) into a family that operated a hereditary ferry-boat service, providing stability after his father's early death. Displaying prodigious talent in drawing from childhood, he became an apprentice to the master Utagawa Toyokuni I around 1801 at age fifteen, entering the prest...