The Actor Bando Hikosaburo II as Ono no Yorikaze in the play "Ono no Tofu Aoyagi Suzuri," performed at the Morita Theater in the eighth month, 1764 1764

Torii Kiyomitsu created this woodblock print, sometime in 1764, depicting the actor Bando Hikosaburo II in the role of Ono no Yorikaze. Kabuki theater, from which this image originates, was a vibrant part of the Edo period popular culture. Here, we see not just a portrait, but a carefully constructed persona. Kabuki was more than mere entertainment, it was a space where identities were both performed and negotiated. In this print, gender, class, and social roles intertwine. The actor, a man, embodies a male character from a play, yet does so within the highly stylized conventions of Kabuki which often blurred gender lines. The emotional intensity captured is palpable. The weight of societal expectations, the fluidity of identity, and the power of performance, all resonate within this single image. It's a reminder that art doesn't just reflect society, it actively shapes our understanding of it.