{"product_id":"the-actor-sawamura-sojuro-ii-as-matsuomaru-and-azumo-tozo-i-as-sakuramaru-ishikawa-toyonobu","title":"The Actor Sawamura Sojuro II as Matsuomaru and Azumo Tozo I as Sakuramaru - Ishikawa Toyonobu","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 1750 Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Ishikawa Toyonobu depicting two kabuki actors in a scene from the play Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis woodblock print by Ishikawa Toyonobu depicts a scene from the kabuki play Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, performed at the Morita Theater in 1750. The composition features two actors, Sawamura Sojuro II in the role of Matsuomaru and Azumo Tozo I as Sakuramaru. Toyonobu, a master of the benizuri-e technique, employs a limited palette of soft green and rose tones to define the figures against a neutral paper background.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe print exemplifies the yakusha-e genre, which focused on the portrayal of kabuki actors. Toyonobu captures the dramatic tension of the performance through the posture and gaze of the subjects. Matsuomaru stands tall, holding a fan, while Sakuramaru kneels below him, creating a balanced vertical arrangement. The garments are decorated with distinct patterns, including pine needles and cherry blossoms, which serve to identify the characters and their status within the narrative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTechnically, the work demonstrates the transition in Japanese printmaking toward multi-colour printing. By using a small number of colour blocks, Toyonobu achieves a refined aesthetic that avoids the visual clutter of later, more saturated prints. The calligraphic lines remain the primary structural element, guiding the eye through the folds of the kimono and the expressive features of the actors. This print provides a record of mid-eighteenth-century theatrical costume and performance style, preserved through the meticulous craft of the Ukiyo-e tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/sv\/products\/frolicking-figures-and-animals-kawanabe-kyosai\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eFrolicking Figures and Animals - Kawanabe Kyōsai — Kawanabe Kyōsai\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/sv\/products\/mountains-and-rivers-along-the-kisokaido-utagawa-hiroshige\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eMountains and Rivers Along the Kisokaidō - Utagawa Hiroshige — Utagawa Hiroshige\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ishikawa Toyonobu","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58980564074831,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58980714152271,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58980714185039,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58980714217807,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58980714250575,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58980714283343,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58980714316111,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58980714348879,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58980714381647,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58980714414415,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58980714447183,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58980714479951,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/The-Actor-Sawamura-Sojuro-II-as-Matsuomaru-and-Azumo-Tozo-I-as-Sakuramaru_Poster_CompositorV1_1790896154943.jpg?v=1790896794","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/sv\/products\/the-actor-sawamura-sojuro-ii-as-matsuomaru-and-azumo-tozo-i-as-sakuramaru-ishikawa-toyonobu","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}