The Actor Otani Hiroji III as Hata no Daizen Taketora in the play "Kisoeuta Sakae Komachi," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1762
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e
Dimensions
31.2 × 14 cm (12 1/4 × 5 1/2 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
19895
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of 18th-century Edo (modern Tokyo), kabuki theater was a cultural phenomenon, and this color woodblock print by Torii Kiyomitsu captures its theatrical magic. Created in 1762, it portrays the celebrated actor Ōtani Hiroji III the role of Hata no Daizen Takora from the play *Kisoeuta Sakae Komachi*, performed at the prestigious Ichimura Theater during the lunar month. Kiyomitsu, a master of the Torii school, specialized in yakusha-e (actor prints), blending dynamic poses and expressive faces to immortalize star performers for an adoring public. This narrow hosoban-format p...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyomitsu I · 1735–1785
Japanese, 1735–1785