The Actor Anegawa Chiyosaburo from Kyoto

Art Historical Context

This striking hand-colored woodblock print by Nishimura Shigenobu captures the kabuki actor Anegawa Chiyosaburo in a dynamic-length pose. Created in 1734 during Japan’s Edo period, the work belongs to the early flourishing of ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” which celebrated the vibrant theater districts and popular entertainers of the time. Shigenobu, active in the 1720s and 1730s, specialized in actor portraits that brought the excitement of the stage to a wider audience through affordable prints. The print’s narrow hosoban format and urushi-e technique highlight its technical ...