The Actors Ichimura Uzaemon IX as Nagoya Sanzaburo and Ichimura Kamezo II in the play "Higashiyama-dono Kabuki no Tsuitachi," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1766

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Edo theater with this striking woodblock print by Tor Kiyomitsu I (1734–1785), a master of theii school renowned for yakusha-e—portraits of kabuki actors. Created in 1766, it captures Ichimura Uzaemon IX Nagoya Sanzaburō and Ichimura Kamēzō II in the play *Higash-dono Kabuki nouitachi*, performed at the Ichimura Theater during the eleventh month. Kiyomitsu's dynamic poses and expressive faces bring the actors' dramatic personas to life, reflecting kabuki's theatrical flair. In Edo-period Japan (modern Tokyo), kabuki was a cultural phenomenon, blending music, dance, and elaborate costumes to captivate audiences. Actor prints like this one served as affordable souvenirs and advertisements, plastered on streets to hype star performers and upcoming shows. The narrow hosoban format (31.2 × 14 cm) made it perfect for easy printing and distribution, embodying ukiyo-e's "floating world" celebration of fleeting pleasures. This benizuri-e (rose-colored picture) showcases an early color woodblock technique: black outlines filled with vermilion red and green pigments, hand-applied before full polychrome printing revolutionized the medium. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia collection, it highlights the artistry that fueled Japan's print culture boom.

About the Artist

Torii Kiyomitsu I · 1735–1785

Japanese, 1735–1785