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.
Ronin Annex | Art & Gifts
Uncover affordable art prints and great values in fine East Asian art from the 18th-21st century in Ronin Annex. From original ukiyo-e woodblock prints and modern reprints, to out-of-print books and conservation supplies, everything in this collection is priced under $500. Unyieldingly beautiful and forever unique, these pieces are perfectly suited for both the new collector and the longtime connoisseur. With over 1000 works of art priced under $500, let Ronin Annex help you find a meaningful gift, decorate your home, protect your collection, and craft your library.
184 Products
Toyokuni III
Iwai Kumezaburo as Princess Sayo: Poem by Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
JP5851
Toyokuni III
Kabuki Actor Nakamura Fukusuke I as Samezaya Shiroza
JP-209772
Toyokuni III
Flowers and Birds: Genji and His Companions Sharing a Boat
JPR-210939
Toyokuni III
Kabuki Actor Iwai Kumesaburo III as Shiranui Daijin
JP-209771
Toyokuni III
Kabuki Actor Kawarazaki Gonjuro I as Katanaya Hanshichi
JP-209832
Toyokuni III
Chapter Miotsukushi: Channel Buoys, Bijin Holding a Mirror
JP3-44820
Toyokuni III
Chapter Sekiya: The Gate House, Oiran and Palanquin
JP3-44829
Toyokuni III
Kabuki Actor Bando Shuka I as Shiranui Daijin
JP-209831
Toyokuni III
Kabuki Actors Seki Sanjuro III as Iyami Kincho, and Bando Hikosaburo V as Iyami Kingoro
JP-209829
Toyokuni III
Fujisuke, Faithful Servant of the Ishii House
JP-209825
Toyokuni III
Kabuki Actor Sawamura Tossho II as Hiranoya Kojiro
JP-209830
Toyokuni III
Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Ebizo V as Banzuiin Chobei
JP-209770