The Actor Nakamura Matsue as Oshichi in the play "Fujibumi Sakae Soga," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the second month, 1763

Art Historical Context

In the vibrant theater scene of 18th-century Edo (modern Tokyo), Torii Kiyom I captures the kabuki star Nakamura Matsue in the role of Oshichi from the play *Fujibumi Sakae Soga*. Produced in 1763 for a performance at the prestigious Ichimura Theater, thisblock print exemplifies *yakusha-e*—actor portraits that turned performers into cultural icons. Kiyomitsu, a master of the Torii school, infused his works with dynamic poses and expressive faces, blending realism with stylized drama to evoke the "floating world" of ukiyo-e entertainment. This narrow *hosoban* format (30.5 × 13.4 cm) was ideal for affordable souvenirs sold outside theaters, while the *benizuri-e* technique—using a rose-pink outline block plus green and hand-applied colors—marked an exciting early step toward multicolored printing. Before the full-spectrum *nishiki-e* prints of later masters like Hiroshige, these innovative methods made art accessible to everyday fans. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, this print offers a window into Japan's kabuki golden age, where actors like Matsue embodied tales of love, revenge, and folklore. It's a testament to how woodblock printing democratized celebrity culture, inviting us to imagine the roar of the crowd and the thrill of live performance.

About the Artist

Torii Kiyomitsu I · 1735–1785

Japanese, 1735–1785