Utagawa Kunisada Ii

Place: Edo

Born: 1823

Death: 1880

Biography:

Early Life and Training

, 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.