The Actors Ichikawa Ebizo II as Musashibo Benkei, Sakata Shintaro (?) as Soga no Goro, and Takigawa Kinya (?) as Soga no Juro in the play "Sazareishi Suehiro Genji," performed at the Nakamura Theater in the first month, 1744
Medium
Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e
Dimensions
29.8 × 13.8 cm (11 11/16 × 5 7/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
19279
Art Historical Context
This vibrant woodblock print by Torii Kiyonobu II captures a dynamic moment from the kabuki play *Sazareishi Suehiroji*, performed at the Theater in Edo (modern Tokyo) during the first month of 1744. It features renowned actors Ichikawa Ebizō II as the warrior monk Musashibō Benkei, alongside Sakata Shintarō (possibly) as Soga no Gorō and Takigawa Kin'ya (possibly) as Soga no Jūrō. These figures draw from popular tales of loyalty, revenge, and heroism—the Soga brothers avenging their father's murder, blended with Benkei's legendary strength—making kabuki a thrilling spectacle for Edo's theater...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyonobu II · 1702–1752
Japanese, ca. 1702–1752