The Actor Sawamura Sojuro II as Matsuomaru and Azumo Tozo I as Sakuramaru - Ishikawa Toyonobu

A 1750 Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Ishikawa Toyonobu depicting two kabuki actors in a scene from the play Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami.

This woodblock print by Ishikawa Toyonobu depicts a scene from the kabuki play Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, performed at the Morita Theater in 1750. The composition features two actors, Sawamura Sojuro II in the role of Matsuomaru and Azumo Tozo I as Sakuramaru. Toyonobu, a master of the benizuri-e technique, employs a limited palette of soft green and rose tones to define the figures against a neutral paper background.

The print exemplifies the yakusha-e genre, which focused on the portrayal of kabuki actors. Toyonobu captures the dramatic tension of the performance through the posture and gaze of the subjects. Matsuomaru stands tall, holding a fan, while Sakuramaru kneels below him, creating a balanced vertical arrangement. The garments are decorated with distinct patterns, including pine needles and cherry blossoms, which serve to identify the characters and their status within the narrative.

Technically, the work demonstrates the transition in Japanese printmaking toward multi-colour printing. By using a small number of colour blocks, Toyonobu achieves a refined aesthetic that avoids the visual clutter of later, more saturated prints. The calligraphic lines remain the primary structural element, guiding the eye through the folds of the kimono and the expressive features of the actors. This print provides a record of mid-eighteenth-century theatrical costume and performance style, preserved through the meticulous craft of the Ukiyo-e tradition.