Utagawa Kunisada / Toyokuni III
Kunisada was born along a small river that flowed into the Sumida in Hon-jo, Edo.His birthdate is given as 1786. Sometime between 1804 and 1818, he became the pupil of Utagawa Toyokuni (1) who by this time had already declined in artisitic power. Kunisada’s first artistic work, as gokanbon (an illustrated novelette) appeared in 1807. The text was written by the early ukiyo-e critic and writer, Shikitei Samba, who later says of the artist’s illustrations - “It was his first attempt at an illustrated novelette and it at once earned him considerable repute. In the following years his popularity grew steadily until finally he emerged as a well-known ukiyo-e artist with a school of his own.”
In 1808, he began to produce a distinct type of actor portrait that was to become the fashion in this genre. He was Toyokuni’s third notable pupil and was to become one of the leading artists of his day.
From 1833, he studied the style of Itcho under Hanabusa Ikkei, taking the name Kochoro. But this training was not to produce a new style for Kunisada. In 1844, he took over the studio name of Toyokuni. The signature almost always appears in a baroque-style cartouche. His influence on the decline of ukiyo-e cannot be underestimated. Richard Lane writes, “The general decline of grace and quality in 19th-century figure work is epitomized in his prints...”
Kunisada was to be Kuniyoshi’s chief competitor, and many famous stories surround their rivalry. A satirical poem of the day, circulated perhaps by Kuniyoshi’s supporters translates - “Kunisada got himself the name of Utagawa by hook or by crook - Toyokuni the second.” (The Japanese pronunciation for the second, nidaime, also carries the additional meaning of “imposter.”) Another satirical poem offers an even more obvious criticism - “The reeds (yoshi) proliferate and hide the ferry.” The “reeds” is a reference to Kuniyoshi and the ferry refers to one of Kunisada’s alternate names, Gototei, meaning “fifth ferry”.
The author, Shikitei Samba, whose books Kunisada often illustrated, offers a different picturre of Kunisada - “He is a mild man who always worked dutifully from the author’s rough sketches or according to specifications.”
Whatever criticism his contemporaries may have lodged against Kunisada, posterity has been only a little kinder, particularly in the West. Occasionally in his surimono, or in his early prints of girls and actors he achieved real distinction. His rare landscapes are quite exceptional, brilliantly conceived and striking in composition. The prints selected for this database fully support this view. (HAL)
