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Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)"Shirasuka Rokuro" - Mid 19th Century Figurative Japanese Woodblock Print1850
1850
About the Item
"Shirasuka Rokuro" - Mid 19th Century Figurative Japanese Woodblock Print
Beautiful mid 19th century figural Japanese woodblock print of a samurai named Shirasuka Rokuro by Utagawa Toyokuni III (Kunisada) (Japanese, 1786-1864/5). The samurai is holding a spear, standing under a tree with full blossoms. He is wearing an elaborate outfit, including two swords. Artist's signature and chop are in the lower left corner of the piece.
Presented in a wood frame with a cream mat.
Frame size: 21.5"H x 16.5"W
Image size: 13.75"H x 9.5"W
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.
- Creator:Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) (1786-1864, Japanese)
- Creation Year:1850
- Dimensions:Height: 21.5 in (54.61 cm)Width: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)Depth: 0.5 in (1.27 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Some age toning to paper. Crease visible along left edge.
- Gallery Location:Soquel, CA
- Reference Number:
Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Born in the Honjo district of Edo as Kunisada Tsunoda, Kunisada’s family owned a small hereditary ferryboat service. Though his father, an amateur poet, died when Kunisada was a child, the family business provided some financial security. During his childhood, he showed considerable promise in painting and drawing. Due to strong familial ties with literary and theatrical circles, he spent time studying actor portraits. At age 14, he was admitted to study under Toyokuni, head of the Utagawa school. Kunisada's work embodies the characteristics of the Utagawa school, focusing on traditional subjects such as kabuki, bijin (beautiful women), shunga (erotic prints), and historical prints. His first known print dates to 1807, his first illustrated book to 1808. Kunisada’s career took off from the beginning. Many of his works became overnight successes and he was considered the “star attraction†of the Utagawa school. He signed his works “Kunisada,†sometimes with the studio names of Gototei and Kochoro affixed. In 1844, he adopted the name of his teacher and became Toyokuni III. Kunisada passed away in 1864 in the same neighborhood that he was born. He was 70 years old. Kunis
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