Lot 384
Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Japanese, (1786 - 1864)
Courtesan and Retinue, ca.1850-1860
color woodblock
Biography from the Archives of askART: During his lifetime Kunisada Utagawa was considered to be the best print designer by his contemporaries. He was more popular than Hiroshige, Hokusai or Kuniyoshi. And Kunisada was extremely productive. His total output is estimated at more than 20,000 designs, many made by his students.
Kunisada was born near Edo (today Tokyo) as the son of an affluent merchant with a ferry boat license. At the age of fifteen he joined the famous art school of Utagawa Toyokuni and took the name Kunisada.
In 1807 the young artist produced his first illustrated book. And in 1808 his first actor prints were published. His fame grew fast. While other artists like Kuniyoshi Utagawa or Hiroshige had to fight for recognition for years, he was successful from the beginning.
He should become the most commercially successful of all woodblock printmakers ever. His early success may not have had a good influence on his personality. He had a reputation for his conceited personality.
Kunisada designed a wide spectrum of traditional ukiyo-e subjects like kabuki themes, beautiful women, historical events and quite a few shunga prints. He made few landscapes.
In 1825 Toyokuni I had died. Later in 1844 Kunisada decided to take the name of his master and called himself Toyokuni. He is now known as Toyokuni III. The name of Toyokuni II was claimed by a lesser known and mediocre ukiyo-e artist, Toyoshige. He was the son-in-law of Toyokuni I and became the head of the Utagawa school after the death of his father-in-law. Toyoshige is now referred as Toyokuni II. Kunisada was outraged when Toyoshige was named head of the Utagawa school and not him.
The name changes of ukiyo-e artists can be annoying and confusing for a new collector. The following list may help.
• 1807-1844: Gototei Kunisada
• 1833-1844: Kochoro Kunisada
• from 1844: Toyokuni (III)
• from 1845: Shozo
Many of the prints signed by Kunisada Utagawa bear the preceding Gototei, Kochoro or Ichiyosai to his artist name Kunisada, respectively Toyokuni after 1844. In 1844/45 the artist signed many of his prints with "Kunisada changing to Toyokuni". In 1845 he retired officially and called himself Shozo. But that did not mean that he stopped printmaking.
Collaboration Works with Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi
Although there was some rivalry between Kunisada and Kuniyoshi, the two men designed and published a series of prints together. He also made some collaborative prints with Hiroshige I. In 1852 Kunisada designed the series Restaurants of Edo and in 1855 the series The Fifty-Three Stations from Two Brushes in collaboration with Hiroshige.
Kunisada also had a flourishing ukiyo-e school. The best of his students were Kunichika and Chikanobu who themselves became famous artists of the Japanese woodblock printmaking tradition.
Source:
"Kunisada Utagawa," Artelino, Web. Aug. 2017
- Dimensions: 13 1/2"H x 9 1/2"W(sight), 21 1/2"H x 17 1/4"W(frame)
- Medium: color woodblock
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