The Actor Segawa Kikunojo II
c. 1761
Medium
Color woodblock print; hashira-e, benizuri-e
Dimensions
63.2 × 10.8 cm (24 7/8 × 4 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
23273
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Edo Japan with *The Actor Segawa Kikuno II* by Torii Kiyomitsu I, a masterful color woodblock print from around 1761. This *hashira-e* ( print), with its striking vertical format of 63.2 × 10.8 cm, was designed to hang on narrow architectural pillars in homes or theaters, immersing viewers in the "floating world" of ukiyo-e—the popular art celebrating theater, beauty, and urban life. Kiyomitsu, a leading figure in the Torii school renowned for yakusha-e (actor portraits), captures the famed kabuki performer Segawa Kikunojo II, a celebrated onnagata w...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyomitsu I · 1735–1785
Japanese, 1735–1785