The Actor Nakamura Rikō I with an Attendant
ca. 1784
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 31/32 x 5 3/4 in. (33.0 x 14.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Francis Lathrop Collection, Purchase, Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1911
Accession Number
JP727
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Torii Kiyon's *The Actor Nakamura Rikō I an Attendant* (. 1784) captures the theatrical glamour of kabuki stars. This woodblock print, or *ukiyo-e* ("pictures of the floating world"), showcases Nakamura Rikō I, a celebrated onnagata (male actor specializing in female roles), posed elegantly with his attendant. Kiyonaga, a master of the Torii school, elevated yakusha-e (actor prints) with his refined style, blending graceful figures, intricate kimono patterns, and dynamic compositions that brought the stage to life for everyday viewers. The...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyonaga · 1752–1815
Torii Kiyonaga, born Sekiguchi Shinsuke in 1752 in Uraga, Sagami Province, was the son of an Edo bookseller who owned tenements near a bustling fish market. At age 14 in 1765, he began his apprenticeship under Torii Kiyomitsu, the third-generation head of the prestigious Torii school of ukiyo-e, renowned for kabuki theater illustrations and signage. Adopted into the Torii family, Kiyonaga succeede...