Memorial Portrait of the Actor Kataoka Nizaemon VIII
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Classification
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
23750
Art Historical Context
This striking memorial portrait by Utagawa Yoshitor honors the renowned kabuki actor Kataoka Nizaemon VIII, created in 1862 during Japan's late Edo period. Produced as a color woodblock print in the large oban format—measuring about 14 by 10 inches—it captures the actor in a dramatic pose, likely evoking one of his iconic roles. Yoshitora, a prolific artist from the Utagawa, specialized in ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world"), vividly depicting the era's theater stars, warriors, and daily life. Kabuki theater was a cultural phenomenon in 19th-century Japan, blending elaborate costumes, ...
About the Artist
Utagawa Yoshitora · 1845–1880
Utagawa Yoshitora (歌川 芳虎), also known by his art names Ichimōsai, Mōsai, and Kinchōrō, was a prolific ukiyo-e artist born in Edo (modern Tokyo), where he trained under the renowned Utagawa Kuniyoshi, recognized as his oldest pupil. Little is known of his early life, which remains sparsely documented, but his earliest works include illustrations for the book *Story of Karasu Kanzaemon’s Loyalty* in...