Two Actors in a Drama

Dated to about 1715, this [oban](/glossary/oban) sumizuri-e depicts two kabuki actors engaged in a dramatic scene. The print is executed in pure black ink without hand coloring, so the composition rests entirely on the patterning of contour and textile design. Kiyomasu I uses the paired-figure format to set up a visual dialogue between the two actors, their poses calibrated to one another in the manner of a stage tableau. The Torii school's characteristic heavy outlines and muscular drawing style give the figures their distinctive theatrical authority. The oban format provided enough surface to depict both actors at substantial scale while preserving compositional balance. As an undated and untitled record of two unidentified performers, the print exemplifies the documentary problem typical of early [ukiyo-e](/glossary/ukiyo-e): vivid theatrical evidence without the specificity that would link it to a known production. The Art Institute of Chicago holds this work.