The Actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as Momozono in the play "Katakiuchi Mogami no Inabune," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the seventh month, 1759 1759

This woodblock print by Torii Kiyomitsu shows the actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as Momozono in a play performed in 1759. This work offers us a glimpse into the vibrant, socially-charged world of Edo-period Japanese theater. Here, the image creates meaning through its visual codes, linking the actor to the character he portrays. The print captures a moment of high drama, reflecting the cultural significance of Kabuki theater as a space for social commentary. The popularity of Kabuki fueled an entire industry around actors, who were the celebrities of their day, but they were also outcasts on the margins of the social order. As historians, we rely on playbills, diaries, and other period documents to reconstruct the cultural significance of these performances. The study of these prints reminds us that art is not created in a vacuum, but is always a product of a particular time and place.