What themes define Utagawa Kunisada Ii's corpus?

edo period culture, ukiyo-e print tradition, utagawa school influence, utagawa school style, ukiyo-e tradition

Is Utagawa Kunisada Ii's work still under copyright?

No, works by this artist are in the public domain.

What are the 3 top-ranked paintings by Utagawa Kunisada Ii on ArtsDot.com?

The bell cricket (Chapter 38), The Wintry Blast; Clear Weather After a Storm; The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro VIII as Ashikaga Mitsuuji, Actor Bando Shiuka Playing the Courtesan Yamanaya Urazato

Utagawa Kunisada Ii (1823

early life and training

utagawa kunisada ii, also known as toyokuni iv, was a renowned japanese ukiyo-e print designer born in edo, japan in 1823. he was a pupil of utagawa kunisada i and signed much of his early work under the name kunimasa iii. around 1850-51, he adopted the name kunisada ii, marking his inheritance of the utagawa school.

artistic style and notable works

kunisada ii's prints include over 40 series, mostly featuring actors (yakusha-e), as well as portraits of beauties, illustrations of scenes from literature, erotica, and other subjects. one of his most celebrated works is the tale of the eight dog heroes (hakkendun inu no sōshi no uchi), dating from 1852, drawn from kyokutei bakin's epic novel, the satomi clan and the eight dogs (nansō satomi hakkenden).

legacy and later life

kunisada ii headed the utagawa school and worked in the style of his master, but never achieved the same level of success. his popularity waned in the meiji period (1868–1912), and he appears to have stopped making prints after 1874. he died on july 20, 1880, and was buried at banshōin kōunji. his buddhist posthumous name is sankōin hōkokujutei shinji.