The Actors Ichimura Kamezo I as Kanto Koroku and Arashi Tominosuke I as Hayasaki in the play "Hokazo Yunzei Hachinoki," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1748

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Japanese theater with this striking woodblock print by Torii Kiyonobu II, created in 1748. Titled *The Actors Ichimura Kzō I as Kantō Koroku and Arashi Tominosuke I as Hayasaki in the play "Hokazō Yunzei Hachin,"* it captures two kabuki stars mid-performance at the Ichimura Theater in Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Kiyonobu II, a master of the Torii school, specialized in dynamic actor portraits that advertised plays and immortalized the era's celebrities, blending sharp lines with expressive poses to convey drama and personality. This hosoban-format print—narrow at just 31.4 × 14.6 cm—exemplifies early ukiyo-e, the "pictures of the floating world" celebrating fleeting pleasures like theater. The benizuri-e technique, meaning "rose-colored picture," introduced subtle multi-color printing with pinks, greens, and blues from multiple woodblocks, a innovative step toward the fuller colors of later ukiyo-e masters like Hiroshige and Utamaro. Produced during the Genroku era's cultural boom, it reflects kabuki's golden age, where actors were idols and prints like this were affordable souvenirs for fans. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, this piece offers a window into Edo Japan's lively street culture, where art and entertainment intertwined seamlessly.

About the Artist

Torii Kiyonobu II · 1702–1752

Japanese, ca. 1702–1752