The Actor Onoe Kikugoro I as the pageboy Kichisaburo in the play "Nanakusa Wakayagi Soga," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the first month, 1744

Art Historical Context

Step into the lively world of 18th-century Edo theater with this exquisite woodblock print by Torii Kiyomasu II, created in 1744. Titled *The Actor Onoe Kikoro I as the pageboy Kichisaburo in the play "Nanakusa Wakayagi Soga,"* it captures the star Onoe Kikugoro I in his role during a performance at the prestigious Ichimura Theater in the first lunar month. As a master of the Torii school, Kiyomasu II specialized in yakusha-e—dynamic portraits of kabuki actors—that brought the drama of the stage to everyday viewers, embodying the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") tradition celebrating fleeting pleasures like theater. This hosoban-format print, measuring just 29.9 × 14.7 cm, is a benizuri-e, an innovative early color technique using woodblocks inked with pink (beni) and green, often enhanced by hand-applied colors. Smaller and more affordable than larger oban prints, it made kabuki icons accessible to a broad audience during Japan's Edo period, when theater was a cultural obsession. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, it showcases the artistry of woodblock printing, where intricate carving and precise registration created vivid, expressive images. Kiyomasu II's bold lines and dramatic pose highlight the actor's youthful pageboy character, preserving a snapshot of kabuki's golden age and its role in shaping Japanese popular culture. A delightful window into history!

About the Artist

Torii Kiyomasu II · 1706–1763

At one point this artist was incorrectly identified as Kiyonobu II.