The Actor Anegawa Chiyosaburo from Kyoto - Nishimura Shigenobu

A classic ukiyo-e woodblock print by Nishimura Shigenobu, capturing the kabuki actor Anegawa Chiyosaburo in a graceful pose with a parasol.

This woodblock print by Nishimura Shigenobu depicts the kabuki actor Anegawa Chiyosaburo. The work belongs to the yakusha-e genre, which focuses on the portrayal of actors from the popular theatre of the Edo period. Shigenobu, who was also known as Ishikawa Toyonobu, produced this piece during a time when the depiction of performers was a primary subject for printmakers.

The composition features the actor in a graceful, standing pose, holding a parasol above his head. The figure wears a kimono adorned with a repeating pattern of maple leaves and geometric shapes. The artist employs a limited colour palette, characteristic of early hand-coloured or simple multi-block prints, using soft pinks, yellows, and black ink lines to define the form. The actor's posture and the tilt of the head suggest a moment of performance, capturing the stylised elegance associated with the kabuki stage.

Textual elements are present on the right side of the print, identifying the actor and his origin in Kyoto. The lower section includes a cartouche with the artist's signature and publisher information. The lines are clean and precise, demonstrating the technical skill required to carve the woodblocks for such prints. This piece provides a view into the aesthetic preferences of eighteenth-century Japan, where the theatre and its stars occupied a central place in urban culture. The print is a representative example of the early development of the ukiyo-e tradition, focusing on the intersection of fashion, performance, and graphic design. It remains a clear record of the visual language used to document the celebrated figures of the kabuki world.