Torii Kiyoshige

active late 1720s - early 1760s

BiographyTorii Kiyoshige was an artist of the Torii school and a late pupil of Kiyonobu I. Little is known of his biography. Yoshida lists one of his names as “Seichöken” and notes that he lived at Koami-chö in Edo. Beginning in the late 1720s he designed many "yakusha-e" (actor pictures), as well as depictions of beautiful women. His hand-colored single-sheet designs in "urushi-e" and "benizuri-e" are rather stiff and angular when compared with other artists of the Torii school. Along with numerous illustrated books he also designed many "hashira-e" (pillar prints) in the manner of Okumura Masanobu, which are among the minor glories of the Torii school. Kiyoshige is represented in the Michener Collection by a few choice actor prints from the second half of his career and by a fine historical "hashira-e" diptych.

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SUMMARY:
This artist was possibly a pupil of Kiyonobu I. If so, he was a late one since Kiyonobu I died in 1729. Although his period of activity apparently extends for more than thirty years, few of his works survive. Dr. Lane notes that his art tends to be rather stiff and angular but other critics regard his work, which is quite rare, as very distinguished.

Research by: Howard A. Link.

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