The Actor Matsumoto Koshiro II as Fuwa Banzaemon in the play "Monzukushi Nagoya Soga," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the first month, 1748
1748
Medium
Hand-colored woodblock print; habahiro hashira-e, urushi-e
Dimensions
65.3 × 15.1 cm (25 1/2 × 5 7/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
21470
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Japanese theater with Torii Kiyoshige's *The Actor Matsumoto Koshiro as Fuwa Banza in the play "Monzukushi Nagoya S"*. Created in 1748, this hand-colored woodblock print captures star kabuki actor in his dramatic role during a performance at the Ichimura Theater Edo (modern-day Tokyo). The Torii school, to which Kiyoshige belonged pioneered yakusha-e—actor portraits that blurred the line between art and advertisement, immortalizing performers' expressive poses and elaborate costumes for theater-loving fans. This slender *habahiro hashira-e* (pillar ...