Two Actors in a Drama
About 1715
Medium
Woodblock print; sumizuri-e, ōban
Dimensions
28.8 × 42.6 cm (11 5/16 × 16 3/4 in.)
Classification
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
22946
Art Historical Context
**Two Actors in a Drama by Torii Kiyomasu I, created around 1715, captures the vibrant world of Edo-period kabuki theater through a striking woodblock print. As a master of the Torii school of the earliest ukiyo-e dynasties specializing in actor portraits (yakusha-e)—Kiyomasu I immortalized the dramatic poses and expressive faces of performers, turning stage stars into cultural icons. This sumizuri-e, or monochrome ink print in the large ōban format (28.8 × 42.6 cm), exemplifies the bold, theatrical style that defined early 18th-century Japanese printmaking, bridging traditional ink painting w...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyomasu I
Torii Kiyomasu I was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist working in the early eighteenth century, closely associated with the Torii school, one of the most important lineages in the history of Japanese woodblock printmaking. The Torii school was founded by Torii Kiyonobu, and Kiyomasu I is believed to have been either his son or a close pupil — the precise family relationship remains a matter of scholarly d...