Kabuki Actors Ichimura Kamezo I as Sengokuya Ihei and Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as his Wife Omatsu

The Torii school represented the mainstream ukiyo-e culture during the second half of the 18th century. Though one of the most beloved artists of the Torii school, little is known about Kiyohiro. Producing the majority of his works during the 1750s and 1760s, he mainly designed benizuri-e (crimson-printed pictures), an early form of color printing. Characterized by a pink and green color scheme, these works could include yellow, indigo and brown as well. This color could be printed or applied by hand. Kiyohiro worked in a variety of sizes, each print bearing an aspect of distance between the subject and the viewer, suggesting a magic just out of reach. Kiyohiro is known for his clean, flowing line and a strong geometric presence. The majority of Kiyohiro’s works present young men and women in genre scenes or actor prints. His prints suggest the influence of his contemporaries Kiyomitsu and Toyonobu.