The Actors Ichimura Kamezo I and Sanogawa Ichimatsu I - Torii Kiyohiro

A 1755 woodblock print by Torii Kiyohiro depicting actors Ichimura Kamezo I and Sanogawa Ichimatsu I in a scene from a kabuki performance.

This woodblock print by Torii Kiyohiro depicts a scene from the kabuki play Kashiwa ga Toge Kichirei no Sumo, performed at the Ichimura Theater in Edo during the eleventh month of 1755. The composition features the actor Ichimura Kamezo I in the role of Sengokuya Ihei, positioned alongside Sanogawa Ichimatsu I, who portrays his wife, Omatsu. The figures are engaged in a domestic moment, captured with the characteristic stylistic conventions of the Torii school, which maintained a close association with the kabuki theatre throughout the eighteenth century.

The print is a benizuri-e, a transitional form of colour printing that utilised a limited palette, typically involving pink (beni) and green pigments applied to a monochrome base. The artist employs a flat, graphic approach to space, focusing on the linear quality of the robes and the expressive gestures of the actors. The patterns on the garments, including the grid-like checks and floral motifs, demonstrate the attention to contemporary fashion that defined the ukiyo-e genre. The inclusion of a go board between the figures adds a narrative element, suggesting a quiet interlude within the dramatic context of the play.

Torii Kiyohiro was active during the mid-eighteenth century and is known for his contributions to the development of actor prints. His work reflects the aesthetic priorities of the period, where the focus remained on the stylised portrayal of performers rather than realistic portraiture. The print serves as a record of a specific theatrical production, capturing the costumes and character types that would have been familiar to audiences of the time. The balanced arrangement of the figures within the interior space demonstrates the technical precision required in the production of early multi-coloured woodblock prints.