Ichikawa Danjūrō II in the Role of Soga Gorō from the Play "Yanone"

ca. 1790

Not on view

The Torii school dominated the production of prints of Kabuki actors in the eighteenth century. The fourth grandmaster of the Torii school, Kiyonaga, copied this image from a print by Torii Kiyonobu II (1706–1763). The poem at the top of the print was inscribed by Danjūrō V, a contemporary of Kiyonaga. As shown here, Danjūrō II (1688–1758) performs the role of Soga Gorō, a portrayal that made him a superstar as a swaggering aragoto actor. The print captures the dramatic moment when Soga Gorō, sharpening an arrow, has a vision of the danger that threatens his elder brother.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Title: Ichikawa Danjūrō II in the Role of Soga Gorō from the Play "Yanone"
Artist: Torii Kiyonaga (Japanese, 1752–1815)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: ca. 1790
Culture: Japan
Medium: Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: 14 3/5 x 9 15/32 in. (37.1 x 24.1 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1918
Object Number: JP564
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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Two Women in a Garden, Torii Kiyonaga Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — Two Women in a Garden
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