The Actors Nakayama Kojūrō VI as Hatchōtsubute no Kiheiji by Torii Kiyonaga

The Actors Nakayama Kojūrō VI as Hatchōtsubute no Kiheiji 1785

print, ink, color-on-paper

childish illustration

cartoon like

cartoon based

print

asian-art

junji ito style

japan

ink

color-on-paper

illustrative and welcoming imagery

wedding around the world

illustrative and welcoming

cartoon style

cartoon carciture

cartoon theme

This woodblock print, “The Actors Nakayama Kojūrō VI as Hatchōtsubute no Kiheiji” by Torii Kiyonaga, depicts the celebrated kabuki actor Nakayama Kojūrō VI in a dramatic scene from the play “Hatchōtsubute no Kiheiji,” an Edo-period kabuki drama. Kiyonaga, a prolific artist of the late Edo period, masterfully captures the energy and theatricality of the kabuki stage, showcasing the colorful costumes and exaggerated poses of the actors. The print, created in 1785, is a fine example of ukiyo-e, a style of Japanese art that captured the transient beauty of everyday life, including the world of kabuki theater. The image, using vibrant colors and dynamic lines, exemplifies the characteristics of Kiyonaga's work, demonstrating his skill at depicting movement and emotions.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Related to the play Yukimotsu take furisode Genji 雪矯竹振袖源氏, performed at the Nakamura Theater in the 11th lunar month of 1785. This scene is from a Kabuki play based on the historic rivalry between the Taira and Minamoto clans. In 1159, Minamoto no Yoshitomo attempted to overthrow Emperor Nijō, whose regime was bolstered by the warrior Taira no Kiyomori. The coup d’état failed but led to a full- scale war. The play is set in the aftermath of the attempted coup. In the scene illustrated here, four key characters unexpectedly meet in Kyoto’s Gion district. Hatchōtsubute no Kiheiji, a Minamoto warrior who switched his allegiance to the Taira clan, has been living covertly as a monk who fills temple lamps with oil. Played here by Nakamura Kojūrō VI, he is shown holding an oil pot. Minamoto no Yoshihira (son of the coup’s leader, Yoshitomo), played by Ichikawa Yaozō III, has also been living undercover, waiting for an opportunity to again attack the Taira. Here, Yoshihira has recognized the traitor and begins to draw his sword, a magical weapon known as Raiden-maru (Lightning) because its unsheathing causes a thunderclap.