Toyokuni II (Toyoshige) (1777 - 1835 )
Born in Hongo in Edo, Toyokuni II began his career as a pottery dealer. He was a pupil and son-in-law of Toyokuni I and assumed his teacher's name after Toyokuni I's death in 1825. As other pupils vied for the name "Toyokuni II," Toyokuni II began to sign his prints Toyoshige, but after a year used the go Toyokuni or Gosotei Toyokuni, becoming the Hongo Toyokuni. In later years he returned to the go Toyoshige. Toyokuni II's woodblock prints largely portrayed actors and bijin (beautiful women), but he also designed landscape prints and book illustrations.
Ukiyo-e | Japanese Woodblock Prints | Ronin Gallery
Explore the largest collection of 17th-19th century original Japanese woodblock prints in the United States at Ronin Gallery. Ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” captured the exciting urban popular culture of the Edo period (1603-1868), promoting its beauty, fashions and heroes. While the Buddhist term ukiyo originally emphasized the transitory nature of human life, during the 17th century the term gradually shifted its reference to the ephemeral world of pleasure and indulgence. From 17th century Buddhist woodcuts through 19th century Japanese ukiyo-e print masters, enter a vibrant world of enchanting landscapes and sublime nature studies by Hokusai and Hiroshige, dramatic kabuki actors by Sharaku and Toyokuni, fierce samurai by Kuniyoshi, and elegant beauties by Utamaro. With the ravages of time, war and fire, today few of these precious original Japanese woodblock prints survive outside of museums and important private collections.