The Actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as Ike no Shoji in the play "Mangetsu Oguri Yakata," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eighth Month, 1747
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e
Dimensions
29.6 × 14.7 cm (11 5/8 × 5 3/4 in.)
Classification
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
19286
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Japanese kabuki theater with this striking woodblock print by Torii Kiyonobu, a master of the Torii school renowned for its dynamic actor portraits, or *yakusha-e*. Created in 1747, it depicts the celebrated performer Sanogawa Ichim I in the role of Ike no Shoji from the *Mangetsu Oguri Yakata*, staged at the Ichimura Theater Edo (modern-day Tokyo) during the eighth lunar month. Kiyonobu II's bold lines and expressive poses capture the actor's dramatic intensity, freezing a fleeting theatrical moment for admirers. This *hosoban* print—narrower than ...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyonobu II · 1702–1752
Japanese, ca. 1702–1752