Torii Kiyonobu I
Legendary Artist
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.