Toraya: Arashi Ryuzo II as the monk Tojibo in the play "Hatsu Akebono Kaomise Soga," from the series "Portraits of Actors on Stage (Yakusha butai no sugata-e)"

Q: Is "Toraya: Arashi Ryuzo II as the monk Tojibo in the play "Hatsu Akebono Kaomise Soga," from the series "Portraits of Actors on Stage (Yakusha butai no sugata-e)"" in the public domain?

Yes, Toraya: Arashi Ryuzo II as the monk Tojibo in the play "Hatsu Akebono Kaomise Soga," from the series "Portraits of Actors on Stage (Yakusha butai no sugata-e)" is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

Utagawa Toyokuni I

1794

Toraya: Arashi Ryuzo II as the monk Tojibo in the play "Hatsu Akebono Kaomise Soga," from the series "Portraits of Actors on Stage (Yakusha butai no sugata-e)" by Utagawa Toyokuni I

Medium

Color woodblock print; oban

Dimensions

38.5 × 25.5 cm (15 1/8 × 10 in.)

Classification

woodblock print

Department

Arts of Asia

Museum

Art Institute of Chicago

Accession Number

22058

Art Historical Context

In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1603–1868), Utagawa Toyokuni captured the theatrical energy of kabuki with this 1794 color woodblock print. Titled *Toraya: Arashi Ryuzo II as the Tojibo in the play "Hatsu Akebono Kaomise Soga,"* from his series *Portraits of Actors on Stage (Yakusha butai no sugata)*, it depicts the famed actor Arashi Ryuzo II in dynamic character as the monk Tojibo. Toyokuni, a master of ukiyo-e—the "pictures of the floating world" genre celebrating everyday pleasures like theater—excelled in yakusha-e, or actor portraits, which immortalized stars for fans unable to...

About the Artist

Utagawa Toyokuni I · 1777–1835

Japanese, 1777–1835

Toraya: Arashi Ryuzo II as the monk Tojibo in the play "Hatsu Akebono Kaomise Soga," from the series "Portraits of Actors on Stage (Yakusha butai no sugata-e)"

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