The Actors Nakamura Takesaburō as Kewaizaka no Shōshō and IchikawaDanjurō II as Soga Gorō
- Date:
- 1715
- Medium:
- Woodblock print; ō-ōban yoko-e, sumizuri-e
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
Dated to 1715, this o-oban yoko-e (horizontal large format) sumizuri-e depicts the actors Nakamura Takesaburo as Kewaizaka no Shosho and Ichikawa Danjuro II as Soga Goro in performance together. The subject draws on the Soga brothers' revenge cycle, one of the most enduringly popular dramatic traditions in Edo kabuki, with Soga Goro the more impetuous of the two brothers and Kewaizaka no Shosho the courtesan lover featured in the narrative. Ichikawa Danjuro II was the leading male performer of the period, the second generation of the celebrated Ichikawa Danjuro lineage, and Kiyomasu I's print places him in iconic confrontation with his onnagata partner. Executed in pure black ink, the print derives its power from heavy outlines and the spatial drama of the horizontal format.
More Prints by Torii Kiyomasu I
The Actors Arashi Koroku I as Makomo no Mae and Ichikawa Uzaemon VIII as Taira no Koremochi in the play "Shusse Momijigari," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eleventh month, 1747
1747
Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e
The Actors Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as Soga no Goro and Ikushima Daikichi II as Kewaizaka no Shosho in the play "Monzukushi Nagoya Soga," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the first month, 1748
1748
Color woodblock print; hosoban, benizuri-e
Ichimura Manzo as Yatsushi Goro and Segawa Kikujiro as Yatsushi Shosho
ca. 1745
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Courtesan
ca. 1712
Monochrome woodblock (tan-e) print; ink on paper
Frequently Asked Questions
The Actors Nakamura Takesaburō as Kewaizaka no Shōshō and IchikawaDanjurō II as Soga Gorō was created by Torii Kiyomasu I (鳥居清倍) in 1715.