The Actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as Ushiwakamaru in the play "Kiichi Hogen Shinanguruma," performed at the Morita Theater in the eleventh month, 1754
Medium
Color woodblock print; left sheet of hosoban triptych, benizuri-e
Dimensions
31.8 × 15.8 cm (12 1/2 × 6 3/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
88897
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Japanese theater Nishimura Shigenaga *The Actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as Ushiwamaru in the playKiichi Hogen Shinuruma,"* created in 1754. This woodblock print captures the kabuki actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu in the role of the youthful warrior Ushiwakamaru—better known as the legendary Minamoto no Yoshitsune—from a performance at the Morita Theater Edo (modern Tokyo). Shigenaga, a master of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") tradition, specialized in yakusha-e, or actor prints, that immortalized the drama and glamour of kabuki stars for everyday fans. As the left sheet of a hosoban triptych—a narrow, three-panel format—this benizuri-e print exemplifies early color woodblock techniques. Using just a few hues like beni red, indigo, and green, printed over black outlines, it achieves a striking vibrancy without the full spectrum of later nishiki-e ("brocade pictures"). Measuring a compact 31.8 × 15.8 cm, it was affordable and portable, perfect for theatergoers to collect as souvenirs. These prints hold immense cultural significance, bridging art and popular entertainment during Japan's Edo period. They not only advertised plays but preserved the exaggerated poses (mie) and costumes of kabuki, offering a window into a thriving urban culture where actors were celebrities. Today, housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, it reminds us of ukiyo-e's role in democratizing beauty and storytelling.
About the Artist
Nishimura Shigenaga · 1690–1758
Nishimura Shigenaga (c. 1697–1756) was a pioneering Japanese ukiyo-e printmaker born in Edo (modern-day Tokyo), where he initially worked as a landlord in the Tōriabura-chō district before relocating to Kanda-Sakumachō to operate a bookshop. Self-taught with no known formal teacher, he immersed himself in art around 1719, drawing early inspiration from the Torii school's yakusha-e (actor portraits...