Torii Kiyonobu I, who was born in Osaka in about 1664, was one of the pioneers of the ukiyo-e style of art and is considered the first great master of the Torii School. His childhood name was Shōbei. He was the second son of Torii Kiyomoto, who was a kabuki actor, signboard painter, and artist from Osaka. Given the background of growing up within a family closely related to kabuki theatre, Kiyonobu had been exposed to the performance aspects of the theatre and popular culture from a young age.
The artist moved from Osaka to Edo (now Tokyo), which was the center of power and culture in Tokugawa Japan, in 1687. The growth of the merchant class in Edo led to a greater need for entertainment, illustrated books, and affordable woodblock prints. Under his father’s direction, Kiyonobu started his art career with painting signboards and other marketing materials for kabuki shows.
At this time, he also received some influence from the works of Hishikawa Moronobu, who is considered to be the originator of ukiyo-e. However, besides that, Kiyonobu also knew something about classical painting techniques of the Kanō school and the Tosa school. Instead of just imitating those older styles, Kiyonobu created his own unique art by combining the old with new elements of kabuki plays.
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TORII SCHOOL
By about 1700, Kiyonobu had become one of the leading ukiyo-e painters in Edo and took his place as the undisputed leader of what was to become known as the Torii School. While some scholars argue that previous members of the Torii clan, especially Kiyonobu’s father, Kiyomoto, began the traditions of the Torii School, Kiyonobu is the artist who made the Torii School into the premier artistic atelier connected with the theatres of Edo. The Torii School became famous for its distinct style that featured strong outlines, dramatic postures, bright colors, and exaggerated stage facial expressions. All of these elements helped to make the works produced in the Torii School more appealing to potential viewers of the plays being performed in the theatres. The works created by the Torii School eventually became the official advertising art used by many theatres in Edo.
While Kiyonobu is known primarily for his theatrical works, his artistic output did not stop at making posters. He produced ichimai-e, or single-sheet actor prints, picture books, shunga, or erotic art, paintings, and bijin-ga, or beautiful women’s portraits. The British Museum acknowledges him as one of those artists who helped create the ichimai-e as a major genre in ukiyo-e painting. Kiyonobu’s portrait of actors differed from the ones that came before him due to their emphasis on gesture and dynamic action drawn from kabuki theater practice. His bold and energetic brushstrokes, which were sometimes referred to as a “worm line,” and the distorted proportion of the limbs, particularly the “gourd-shaped legs,” became trademarks of the Torii school of art.
RECOGNITION DURING HIS LIFETIME
While he was alive, Kiyonobu had already gained a lot of recognition. In fact, contemporary scholars admired his artistic skills, and some of his works of art were even presented as votive offerings at Shintō shrines, suggesting that his art was respected beyond the theatrical sphere where it was produced commercially. At the start of the eighteenth century, he had already become one of the major artists in the city of Edo, teaching some disciples that upheld the Torii artistic tradition. There are a number of issues connected with the Torii artists’ style that makes art historians wonder about the accurate attribution of specific works of art. In addition, there are questions regarding the identity of Torii Kiyonobu II and Torii Kiyomasu I, whose career timelines overlapped with those of Kiyonobu I. However, it is almost universally recognized that Kiyonobu laid the foundation for the Torii School in the eighteenth century.
ARTISTIC STYLE AND CONTRIBUTIONS
The style of Kiyonobu was characterized by liveliness, which was typical for the time of Genroku (1688-1704). It was a period usually referred to as one of the golden eras of Edo culture. The art of Kiyonobu was not realistic; it featured movement and theatrical elements. Contrary to other artists of his time who preferred courtesans or poetic landscapes in their pictures, Kiyonobu dedicated most of his career to actors of kabuki and kabuki performances. Kiyonobu made one of the greatest contributions to the development of Japanese art, creating the tradition of depicting kabuki actors in his prints. He successfully transferred the features of actors’ performance in the theater onto paper. In particular, he managed to portray their gestures (mie) and impressive costumes. Thanks to his innovations, actor prints became one of the most popular genres of ukiyo-e.
DEATH AND LEGACY
Torii Kiyonobu I passed away on 22 August 1729 in Edo. After his passing, leadership of the Torii School was taken up by his heirs, who continued creating signboards for kabuki, portraits of actors and theater illustrations. The connection between the Torii School and kabuki lasted many centuries, thus becoming one of the oldest artistic lineages in Japanese printmaking.
In modern times, Kiyonobu is considered one of the key founders of ukiyo-e. Combination of theatrical performance and printmaking set up the standards which influenced actor portraiture in the whole eighteenth century. Works of Kiyonobu are preserved in various museums including the British Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, and other museums in Japan as landmarks of the history of Japanese art. Later artists from the Torii School such as Torii Kiyomitsu and Torii Kiyonaga became followers of his style.