The Actor Sanjo Kantaro II as a madwoman in the play Kabuto Goban Tadanobu - Torii Kiyomasu II

A classic 1728 ukiyo-e woodblock print by Torii Kiyomasu II, depicting the actor Sanjo Kantaro II in a dramatic kabuki role.

This woodblock print by Torii Kiyomasu II depicts the actor Sanjo Kantaro II in the role of a madwoman, a performance captured during the 1728 production of the play Kabuto Goban Tadanobu at the Nakamura Theater in Edo. The Torii school held a dominant position in the creation of yakusha-e, or actor prints, during the eighteenth century. Their style is defined by bold, calligraphic lines and a focus on the dramatic physicality of the kabuki stage.

The composition features a standing figure holding a large umbrella, while a second figure kneels at their feet. The artist employs a limited colour palette, typical of early hand-coloured or beni-e prints, where pigments were applied to the black-and-white ink outlines. The figures are rendered with the characteristic exaggerated posture and expressive facial features associated with the Torii school, designed to convey the intensity of the theatrical performance to the viewer.

Kiyomasu II followed the lineage of the Torii family, maintaining the aesthetic conventions established by his predecessors. The print functions as a record of a specific cultural event, documenting both the costume and the performance style of the era. The use of negative space and the balanced arrangement of the two figures create a clear visual narrative. This piece provides insight into the early development of ukiyo-e, a genre that documented the popular culture and entertainment of the Edo period. The print remains a representative example of the technical and stylistic approach of the Torii school, focusing on the portrayal of actors as the primary subjects of artistic production.