Shunsho (1726 - 1792 )

Shunsho Katsukawa was one of the great masters of ukiyo-e. As founder of the Katsukawa School, he was a pivotal print artist, accomplished painter, and influential teacher. Born in 1726, little is known about Shunsho’s personal life. He came to Edo to study haiku, poetry, and painting under Shunsui Miyagawa. It is thought that Shunsho began to design actor prints (yakusha-e) around 1768. In these prints, he turned away from the idealized figures of the Torii School in favor of recognizable subjects. From subtle facial features to characteristic expressions, Shunsho brought theatrical stars to life through realistic portraiture. As he focused on the individual actor rather than the role portrayed, Shunsho marked a distinct shift in the actor print genre. From his hosoban actor portraits to his illustrated books, Shunsho introduced individualism to yakusha-e. This legacy flourished under talented students such as Shuncho, Shunko, Shunei, and Shunro (aka Hokusai).

Shunsho Katsukawa’s woodblock print success reached beyond yakusha-e. He explored other ukiyo-e genres, producing many shunga albums, illustrated books, warrior prints, and images of sumo wrestlers throughout his career. He was also highly successful in the field of bijin-ga, or “pictures of beautiful women,” and devoted his later years to painting for elite patrons. Shunsho Katsukawa’s early prints are not signed. Instead, they are sealed with the character “hayashi” enclosed within the shape of a bronze jar (tsubo). This seal belonged to Shichiemon Hayashiya, the publisher with whom Shunsho lived with for a time.

Japanese Woodblock Prints (1600 - 1800)

Early ukiyo-e, or pictures (e) of the floating world (ukiyo), emerged around 1660 with monochrome prints. The masters of this “primitive” period, such as Moronobu and Masanobu, are known for their elegant and vital lines. By 1700, the first early color prints emerged. Hand-colored with vegetable-based pigments, this process proved costly and was replaced by full-color printing in 1765. Known as the father of color printing, Harunobu ushered in the era of nishiki-e, or brocade pictures, with sensitivity and subtlety. The late 18th century welcomed a “golden age” of ukiyo-e, during which time artists developed the use of color and diversified their approach to subject matter. Sharaku imbued his actor portraits with a greater sense of individualism, while Utamaro delved deeper into the “greenhouses” of the Yoshiwara, considering the private lives of courtesans. Browse our collection of early ukiyo-e below.

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  • Available
  • Archive

Price

18000180

Artist

  • Buncho
  • Eiri
  • Eishi
  • Eisho
  • Harunobu
  • Hokusai
  • Kiyomitsu
  • Kiyonaga
  • Kiyotsune
  • Koryusai
  • Masanobu
  • Masayoshi
  • Morikuni
  • Moronobu
  • Sharaku
  • Shigemasa
  • Shuncho
  • Shundo
  • Shunei
  • Shunjo
  • Shunko
  • Shunman
  • Shunsho
  • Sukenobu
  • Toyokuni I
  • Utamaro
  • Unsigned / Unknown Artist

Series

  • 100 Poems by 100 Poets (Shunsho)
  • Ehon Butai Ogi: Picture Book of Stage Fans

Subject

  • Actors & Theater
  • Beauties (bijin-ga)
  • Calligraphy
  • Children
  • Ghosts & Demons (yokai)
  • Legends & History
  • Manga & Bookplates
  • Poets & Scholars
  • Portraits
  • Shunga
  • Still Life
  • Warriors & Samurai

Period

  • 1600 - 1800 (Early Edo)

Medium

  • Woodblock Print

Size

  • Small (ie. Chuban)
  • Medium (ie. Oban)

61 Products

Filtered By: Shunsho
Kabuki Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as Onami Disguised as Dragon Princess

Shunsho

Kabuki Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as Onami Disguised as Dragon Princess

JP-208176

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Kabuki Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as Tomoe Gozen

Shunsho

Kabuki Actor Segawa Kikunojo III as Tomoe Gozen

JPR-100370

$7,400.00
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Kabuki Actor Otani Hiroemon III as Renegade Monk Dainichibo

Shunsho

Kabuki Actor Otani Hiroemon III as Renegade Monk Dainichibo

JP5073

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Kabuki Actor Otani Hiroji III

Shunsho

Kabuki Actor Otani Hiroji III

JP-111374

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Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as Taruhiroi Goro

Shunsho

Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as Taruhiroi Goro

JP-111366

$7,800.00
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Kabuki Actor Nakamura Riko as Gaku no Osan

Shunsho

Kabuki Actor Nakamura Riko as Gaku no Osan

JP-111370

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Kabuki Actor Bando Matataro IV (?)

Shunsho

Kabuki Actor Bando Matataro IV (?)

JP5075

$2,200.00
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Kabuki Actor Bando Mitsugoro I as Soga no Juro

Shunsho

Kabuki Actor Bando Mitsugoro I as Soga no Juro

JP2001

$1,600.00
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Kabuki Actor Nakamura Sukegoro II

Shunsho

Kabuki Actor Nakamura Sukegoro II

JP1-21648

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Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as Renegade Buddhist Monk

Shunsho

Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Danjuro V as Renegade Buddhist Monk

JP-94091

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The Priest Ryosen

Shunsho

The Priest Ryosen

JP-95928

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The Retired Emperor Juntoku

Shunsho

The Retired Emperor Juntoku

JP-95917

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Ariwara no Narihira

Shunsho

Ariwara no Narihira

JP-208624

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