The Actor Ichikawa Komazo I in his rice cracker shop
c. 1771
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
28.3 × 21.3 cm (11 1/8 × 8 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
88927
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Japan with *The Actor Ichikawa Komazo I in his rice cracker shop a captivating color woodblock print by Torii Kiyomitsu I, created around 1771. Kiyomitsu, a leading figure in the Torii school of ukiyo-e— the "pictures of the floating world"—specialized in dynamic yakusha-e portraits of Kabuki actors. This chuban-sized print (28.3 × 21.3 cm), more intimate than larger formats, made such celebrity imagery accessible to everyday Edo residents, blending theater glamour with slice-of-life scenes. The artwork depicts the famed actor Ichikawa Komazo I, a K...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyomitsu I · 1735–1785
Japanese, 1735–1785