The Actors Ichimura Uzaemon IX as Nagoya Sanzaburo and Ichimura Kamezo II in the play "Higashiyama-dono Kabuki no Tsuitachi," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1766
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
19883
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Edo theater with this striking woodblock print by Tor Kiyomitsu I (1734–1785), a master of theii school renowned for yakusha-e—portraits of kabuki actors. Created in 1766, it captures Ichimura Uzaemon IX Nagoya Sanzaburō and Ichimura Kamēzō II in the play *Higash-dono Kabuki nouitachi*, performed at the Ichimura Theater during the eleventh month. Kiyomitsu's dynamic poses and expressive faces bring the actors' dramatic personas to life, reflecting kabuki's theatrical flair. In Edo-period Japan (modern Tokyo), kabuki was a cultural phenomenon, blendi...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyomitsu I · 1735–1785
Japanese, 1735–1785