Parody of act VII of the play "Treasury of Loyal Retainers (Chushingura)"

1777·Color woodblock print; hashira-e·69.6 × 12.7 cm (27 7/16 × 5 in.)

<p>This print is another parody of the scene in Act VII where a young man reads a long letter on the veranda of a pleasure house. Above him, on a balcony, a courtesan of the house reads the coded letter by looking into a small mirror. Below, the matron of the house crawls out from under the veranda and calls out to the young man. This “tall” episode from the play easily lent itself to the form of the pillar print, earning its name because it could be mounted on the narrow pillars in Edo homes.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1777
Medium: Color woodblock print; hashira-e
Dimensions: 69.6 × 12.7 cm (27 7/16 × 5 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Torii Kiyonaga

Artist

Torii Kiyonaga

Installation

Torii Kiyonaga was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Torii school. Originally Sekiguchi Shinsuke, the son of an Edo bookseller, from Motozaimokuchō Itchōme in Edo, he took on Torii Kiyonaga as an art name. Although not biologically related to the Torii family, he became head of the group after the death of his adoptive father and teacher Torii Kiyomitsu.

Japan

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