The Actor Ichikawa Ebizo II as Goto Saemon in the play "Tokaido Yukumi Guruma," performed at the Ichimura Theater in the eighth month, 1736 1736

Torii Kiyomasu II created this woodblock print in 1736; it depicts the actor Ichikawa Ebizo II in the play "Tokaido Yukumi Guruma." During the Edo period, the popularity of Kabuki theater and its actors fueled a demand for prints like this. They served as publicity and memorabilia, yet they also captured the emotional intensity of Kabuki performances. Notice the actor’s stylized pose and the dynamic lines of his costume, which were designed to convey the character's persona and dramatic role. The artist has used bold lines and vivid colors to capture the energy of the stage and the charisma of Ichikawa Ebizo II. Prints such as this elevated actors to celebrity status. Consider the role of celebrity in culture, then and now. What does it mean to see a person represented, transformed into an image?