Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Timeline
- 1786Born in Honjo, Edo (modern Tokyo), the son of a wealthy ferry operator. His comfortable background allowed him to pursue artistic training from a young age.
- 1800Entered the studio of Utagawa Toyokuni I at the age of 14, joining the most commercially successful ukiyo-e workshop in Edo. He proved an exceptionally prolific student.
- 1810Established himself as a leading designer of kabuki actor prints in his mid-twenties in Edo. His portraits captured the theatrical intensity of performances at the Nakamura-za and Ichimura-za theatres.
- 1844Assumed the prestigious name Toyokuni III at the age of 58, asserting his position as head of the Utagawa school. He was by this point the most commercially successful ukiyo-e artist in Japan.
- 1865Died in Edo aged 79, having produced an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 print designs over his career. This staggering output made him the single most prolific ukiyo-e artist in history.
Notable Works
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) known for?
Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) is known for designing over 20,000 prints, the most prolific and commercially successful ukiyo-e artist in history.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III).
- [1] book Andreas Marks, Japanese Woodblock Prints Used for: stylistic analysis.
- [2] book Japanese woodblock prints in miniature: The genre of surimono Used for: stylistic analysis.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-10-14. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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