Actor Ichikawa Danshirō II as Henmi Tesshinsai

This 1919 oban-format print portrays Ichikawa Danshiro II in the role of Henmi Tesshinsai, a samurai character from the kabuki repertoire. Toyonari renders the actor's face with bold, simplified contours that strip away excess ornamentation, focusing the viewer on the intensity of the performer's expression. The ink and color woodblock technique uses flat planes of pigment bounded by strong key-block lines, a hallmark of Toyonari's early actor prints produced during his most prolific period. Danshiro II was a respected figure on the Tokyo stage, and Toyonari's decision to depict him in this particular martial role reflects the artist's interest in capturing moments of coiled tension rather than overt action. The print sits squarely within the shin-hanga tradition of reviving yakusha-e (actor pictures), yet Toyonari's modern sensibility sets it apart from Edo-period precedents.