Bidspirit auction | Ukiyo-e Woodblock Print by Utagawa

Ukiyo-e Woodblock Print by Utagawa Kunisada II (Kunimasa III, Toyokuni IV) - Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Kunisada II (Kunimasa III, Toyokuni IV) Japan, Edo period, 19th century (1823-1880). Color woodblock print on Washi (Japanese paper). Signed by the artist Utagawa Kunisada II (1823-1880). Sheet dimensions: 26.5 × 38.4 cm. Framed under glass; frame dimensions: 47 × 35 cm. Condition: Slightly browned, edges rubbed, partly slightly soiled. The print shows a Yakusha-e (actor's portrait), a popular genre of the Edo period, depicting famous Kabuki actors in characteristic roles. Utagawa Kunisada II, born Takenouchi Munehisa, was an important Ukiyo-e artist of the late Edo period and a successor to the influential Utagawa school. As a student and later adopted son of Utagawa Kunisada I, he continued his style and later also signed as Toyokuni IV. His work mainly includes color woodblock prints depicting Kabuki actors, beautiful women, and literary scenes. Kunisada II shaped the further development of the Utagawa tradition and is represented today in numerous international collections.