The Actor Ichikawa Raizo II, from "A Picture Book of Stage Fans (Ehon butai ogi)"
Medium
Color woodblock print; page from illustrated book
Dimensions
24.5 × 15.3 cm (9 5/8 × 6 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
31358
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of 18th-century Japan, Ippitsusai Buncho captured the theatrical flair of kabuki star Ichikawa Raizo II this striking color woodblock print from *A Picture Book of Stage (Ehon butai ogi)*, created around 1770. Buncho, a leading ukiyo-e artist the Edo period, specialized in yakusha-e—portraits of actors—that celebrated the "floating world" of entertainment. This page from an illustrated book (eh) showcases Raizo II in dynamic pose, likely mid-performance, embodying the exaggerated gestures and elaborate costumes that defined kabuki drama. The medium of color woodblock prin...