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KUNISADA
(TOYOKUNI-III)
(1786 - 1864)
Biography
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KUNISADA, 80
Years old, Memorial Portrait by Kunisada-II
(Toyokuni-IV) |
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Artist – Utagawa
KUNISADA (" 歌川 国貞"); also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III (三代歌川豊国)
(1786 – 1865) was the most popular, prolific and financially
successful designer of ukiyo-e woodblock prints in 19th-century
Japan. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his
contemporaries, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi.
At the end of the Edo period (1603–1867), Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi
and KUNISADA were the three best representatives of the Japanese
color woodcut in Edo (capital city of Japan, now Tokyo).
However, among European and American collectors of Japanese
prints, beginning in the late 19th and early 20th century, all
three of these artists were actually regarded as rather inferior
to the greats of classical ukiyo-e, and therefore as having
contributed considerably to the downfall of their art. For this
reason, some referred to their works as "decadent".
KUNISADA's first known print dates to the year 1807; however
this seems to have been an exceptional design, and further
full-sized prints appear starting only in 1809–1810. As of 1808
he had already begun work as an illustrator of e-hon (woodblock
print illustrated books) and his popularity rapidly increased.
In 1809 he was referred to in contemporary sources as the "star
attraction" of the Utagawa school, and soon thereafter was
considered as at least equal to his teacher Toyokuni in the area
of book illustration. KUNISADA's first actor portraits appeared
in either 1808 or 1809. It is known that his first bijinga
series and a series of pentaptychs of urban scenes of Edo,
appear simultaneously in 1809. By 1813 he had risen as a "star"
in the constellation of Edo's artistic world; a contemporary
list of the most important ukiyo-e artists places him in second
place behind Toyokuni I. KUNISADA remained one of the
"trendsetters" of the Japanese woodblock print until his death
in early 1865. Beginning around 1810 KUNISADA used the studio
name "Gototei", which refers cryptically to his father's
ferry-boat business. Until 1842 this signature appeared on
nearly all of his kabuki designs. Around 1825 the studio name
"Kochoro" appeared, and was often used on prints not related to
kabuki. This name was derived from a combination of the
pseudonyms of master painter Hanabusa Itcho, and that of his
successor Hanabusa Ikkei, with whom KUNISADA had studied a new
style of painting around 1824–1825. In 1844, he finally adopted
the name of his master Toyokuni I, and for a brief time used the
signature "KUNISADA becoming Toyokuni II". Starting in
1844-1845, all of his prints are signed "Toyokuni", partially
with the addition of other studio names as prefixes, such as
"Kochoro" and "Ichiyosai". Although KUNISADA referred to himself
as "Toyokuni II", he must be regarded, however, as "Toyokuni
III". The question is unsettled as to why he intentionally
ignored Toyoshige, a pupil and son-in-law of Toyokuni I and who
had borne the name "Toyokuni", as legitimate head of the Utagawa
school, from 1825 until his own death in 1835.
Almost from the first day of his activity, and even at the time
of his death in 1865, KUNISADA was a trendsetter in the art of
the Japanese woodblock print. Always at the vanguard of his
time, and in tune with the tastes of the public, he continuously
developed his style, which was sometimes radically changed, and
did not adhere to stylistic constraints set by any of his
contemporaries. His productivity was extraordinary.
Approximately 14,500 individual designs have been catalogued
(multi-ptych sets counted as a single design) corresponding to
more than 22,500 individual sheets. It seems probable based on
these figures that KUNISADA actually produced between 20,000 and
25,000 designs for woodblock prints during his lifetime (i.e.
35,000 to 40,000 individual sheets). Following the traditional
pattern of the Utagawa school, KUNISADA's main occupation was
kabuki and actor prints, and about 60% all of his designs fall
in this category. However he was also highly active in the area
of bijin prints (comprising about 15% of his complete works),
and their total number was far higher than any other artist of
his time. From 1820 to 1860 he likewise dominated the market for
portraits of sumo wrestlers. For a long time (1835–1850) he had
an almost complete monopoly on the genre of prints related to
"The Tale of Genji". It was only after 1850 that other artists
began to produce similar designs. Noteworthy also are the number
of his surimono, and although they were designed almost
exclusively prior to 1844, few artists were better-known in this
area. KUNISADA's paintings, which were privately commissioned,
are little-known, but can be compared to those of other masters
of ukiyoe painting. His activity as a book illustrator is also
largely unexplored. He was no less productive in the area of
ehon than he was in full-sized prints, and notable among his
book prints are shunga pictures, which appeared in numerous
books. Due to censorship, they are signed only on the title page
with his alias "Matahei". Landscape prints and musha-e (samurai
warrior prints) by KUNISADA are rare, and only about 100 designs
in each of these genres are known. He effectively left these two
fields to be covered by his contemporaries Hiroshige and
Kuniyoshi, respectively. The mid-1840s and early 1850s, were a
period of expansion when woodblock prints were in high demand in
Japan. During this time KUNISADA collaborated with one of or
both Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi in three major series as well as on
a number of smaller projects. This co-operation was in large
part politically motivated in order to demonstrate solidarity
against the intensified censorship regulations of the Tenpo
reforms.
Personal life
- KUNISADA
was born in 1786 in Honjo, an eastern district of Edo.
His given name was Sumida Shōgorō IX (角田庄五朗), and he was also
called Sumida Shōzō (角田庄蔵). A small licensed and hereditary
ferry-boat service belonged to his family, and the income
derived from this business provided a certain basic financial
security. His father, who was an amateur poet of some renown,
died in the year after his birth. While growing up, he developed
an early talent for painting and drawing. His early sketches at
that time impressed Toyokuni, the great master of the Utagawa
school and prominent designer of kabuki and actor-portrait
prints. In the year 1800 or shortly thereafter KUNISADA was
accepted by Toyokuni I as an apprentice in his workshop. One of
his fellow disciples was Kuniyoshi. In keeping with a tradition
of Japanese master-apprentice relations, he was then given the
official artist name of "KUNI-sada", the first character of
which was derived from the second part of the name "Toyo-KUNI".
He was married, and had at least one issue named "Osuzu" ("小鈴").
In 1864, his daughter "Osuzu" was married to KUNISADA's pupil
and successor "Kunimasa III" ("Kunisada-II"). The date of
Kunisada's death was the 15th day of the 12th month of the First
Year of Genji. Most sources erroneously report this as having
been in the year 1864, though this date in the Japanese calendar
corresponds to the date January 12, 1865, in the Gregorian
calendar. Kunisada died in the same neighborhood in which he had
been born.
Aliases
- born as Sumida Shōgorō IX (角田庄五朗); Sumida
Shōzō (角田庄蔵) as youth name; Utagawa KUNISADA (" 歌川 国貞"); Utagawa
Toyokuni II (二代目歌川豊國), Utagawa Toyokuni III (三代歌川豊国); He used to
sign with various epithets as Gepparô (月波楼), Kinraisha and
Ichiyûsai (一雄斎) or Ichiyosai (一陽斎), but at the latest from 1810,
he used the nickname Gototei (五渡亭) which can be found until 1842
on nearly all Kabuki Print. "Gototei" refers cryptically to his
father's ferry-boat business. Around 1825 he studied traditional
painting style Hanabusa Itchō's (英一蝶) and his successor Hanabusa
Ikkei and used from there the nickname Kochoro on many pressures
that are not related to kabuki area. But Kocho, Kōchōshi, Tōjuen
and Hanabusa Ittai found occasionally as a nickname used. In
1844 Kunisada took the name of his master, and signed for a time
his prints "Kunisada, which changed its name to Toyokuni II has
changed". He ignored that after Toyokuni's death in 1825 his
pupil, adopted son, and son-in-law Toyoshige had become the
legitimate head of the Utagawa School and until his own death in
1835, already used the name Toyokuni II. In art and literature
KUNISADA is now generally referred to as "Toyokuni III".
From 1844-45 Kunisada signed all his prints only with "Toyokuni"
("豊国"), some with different epithets such as Kôchôrô (香蝶楼),
Kôchô and Kôchôshi. A small percentage of printings have
different epithets like Bukiyo Matabei (不器用又平), Eishū, Fuchoan,
Fucho Sanjin, Hanabusa Ittai, Hokubaiko, Ichiyū (一勇), Kinraisha
(琴雷舎), Kio (喜翁), Shôzô, Sumida Shôgorô IX (角田庄五朗), Sumida Shôzô
(角田庄蔵), Tôjuen, Tsunoda, and Yanagishima.
Beginning around the mid-1850s there are series in which
individual parts of designs (and sometimes complete sheets) are
signed by KUNISADA 's students; this was done with the intention
of promoting their work as individual artists.
Disciples - Notable students of KUNISADA included
Toyohara Kunichika (豊原 国周, 1835-1900), Utagawa Sadahide (歌川 貞秀,
1807-1873), Utagawa Kunisada II (二代 歌川 国貞, 1823-1880), Utagawa
Sadafusa (歌川貞房 ative
2018-1850), Utagawa Fusatane (歌川房種)#, active 1854-1888), Utagawa
Sadahiro(歌川 貞廣, since Osaka times also as Sadahide-II,
1838-1918) and Utagawa Kuniteru II (1830-1874).
Copyright 2008 ff: Hans P. Boehme