Toyokuni III (AKA Kunisada,1786 - 1864 )
Toyokuni III, also known as Kunisada, was 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 ukiyo-e woodblock prints embody the characteristics of the Utagawa school, focusing on traditional subjects such as kabuki, bijin (beautiful women), shunga (erotic prints), and historical prints. Kunisada's first known woodblock print dates to 1807, his first illustrated book to 1808. His 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. Kunisada was a highly popular, and the most active, Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the 19th century. In his time, his reputation surpassed those of his contemporaries Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi.
275 Products
Toyokuni III
Kabuki Actors Seki Sanjuro III as Odera Shobei (R), Ichikawa Kodanji IV (with tattoo arm) as Oniazami Seikichi (C), Iwai Kumezaburo III as Izayoi Osayo (L)
JPR-104030
Toyokuni III
Kabuki Actors Kawarazaki Gonjuro I as Matsubaya Bunzo, Onoe Kikugoro V as Matsubaya Matsuyama and Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Yosobei's Son Yokichi, and an unidentified actor as a Police Officer
JPR-104024
Toyokuni III
The Actor Kawarazaki Gonjuro Viewing Fireflies
JPR5297
Toyokuni III
Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Beisho as Otokodate Ude no Kisaburo
JP-94586
Toyokuni III
Yamashiro Province: Ono no Komachi Mirror Viewing
JPR-103856
Toyokuni III
Kanki and Watonai from Kokusenya Kabuki Play
JPR1-59965
Toyokuni III
Chapter Suetsumuhana: The Safflower, Bijin Holding Obi
JP3-44828
Toyokuni III
Kabuki Actor Kawarazaki Gonjuro as Danshichi Kurobei
JPR-92056
Toyokuni III
Hojo Tokimasa, Sasaki Moritsuna and Kagaribi
JP-110598
Toyokuni III
Kabuki Actor Nakamura Fukusuke as Yaoya Hanbei
JPR1-57660