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Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)Courtesan Kumekichi1858
1858
About the Item
Courtesan Kumekichi
Color woodblock, 1858
Kabuki Actor Iwai Kumesaburo III in the role of courtesan Kumekichi, who is standing in snow hold a red sake cup
Publisher: Ohkuniya Kinjiro
Signed: Toyokuni ga in the Toshidama cartouche
Condition: Slightly trimmed
Excellent color and impression
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865)
Kunisada was born near Edo (today Tokyo), 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 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. The following list for Utagawa Kunisada 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.
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.
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.
Biography courtesy artelino
- Creator:Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) (1786-1864, Japanese)
- Creation Year:1858
- Dimensions:Height: 14 in (35.56 cm)Width: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)
- Medium:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Fairlawn, OH
- Reference Number:Seller: UK22651stDibs: LU14015404592
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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