The Actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu I looking at a guidebook to the pleasure quarters c. 1750

Ishikawa Toyonobu created this print, now at the Art Institute of Chicago, showing the actor Sanogawa Ichimatsu looking at a guidebook. Notice the structure of the print – the way the figures are arranged creates a dynamic yet balanced composition. The lines of the kimonos flow around the seated figure holding the pleasure guide. The pattern creates a complex visual field which is repeated in the hair ornaments. The color palette is subtle, dominated by muted blues and pale oranges which give the print a soft, delicate feel. By focusing on the material details of everyday life – fashion and entertainment – it creates a semiotic system. Here, the guidebook itself becomes a symbol of the actor’s status and access to the floating world. The surface of the paper is smooth, yet the textures are highly articulated. These textural elements create a rich visual experience. This print’s careful composition invites us to decode the signs of status and pleasure in 18th-century Japan.