Untitled

Torii Kiyotada

ca. 1738 · Woodblock print; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

On the runway to the stage, the actor Ichikawa Danjūrō appears just before striding forward to save the day, shouting "Shibaraku!" ("Wait a moment!") in a bravado role he created. Kiyotada employed the technique of two-point perspective to show the interior of the theater. Early Kabuki performances were all-day affairs before audiences who ate, drank, and gossiped while awaiting the entrance of favorite actors, who struck their famous poses.

Artist

Torii Kiyotada

Date

ca. 1738

Medium

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Fletcher Fund, 1929