Kunisada (or Toyokuni III) (1786-1864)
Born in 1786 in the Honjo district of Edo Kunisada’s father died the same year and little is known about family as it traveled from one province to another.
Kunisada grew to young adulthood during the Kansei era, 1789 to 1801, which produced some of the best Ukiyo-e artists, like Utamaro or Toyokuni I, founder of the Utagawa School Toyoku. By the age of nineteen, Kunisada was under the tutelage of Toyokuni and gaining recognition for his talent in reproduction of pictures. He also studied under Ikkei and illustrated story books. He soon gained a popular reputation for his depiction of artists and actors. Kunisada’s bijin-ga (beautiful lady prints) catapulted him to fame as one of the most influential artist of the time.
Kunisada’s approach to the realism of the beauty of women in everyday life differed sharply from the form popularized by Utamaro, as did his incorporation of landscape backgrounds into his prints as well as the beauty of the female subject. Utamaro’s included few backgrounds in his works, focusing instead on an idealized feminine beauty. Kunisada’s artistic realism consistently adorned his future works.
In 1844 Kunisada changed his name to Toyokuni III in recognition of his deceased teacher (Toyokuni I), ignoring the prior claim of Toyokuni I’s adpoted son Gosotei Toyokuni, and died in 1864.
Information courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions Inc.