946 - 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). Image dimensions: 25.5 × 36 cm. Framed under glass; frame dimensions: 54.5 × 42.5 cm. Signed “Kochoro Toyokuni ga,” published by Izumiya Ichibei. Condition: Color loss, crease marks. Small wormhole in the lower right corner; signs of age. The print depicts the actor Matsumoto Kinsho as Nikki Danjo in the play “Date Zensei Sakura no Iromaku.” Utagawa Kunisada II, born Takenouchi Munehisa, was a prominent 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 his works as Toyokuni IV. His oeuvre consists primarily of color woodblock prints depicting Kabuki actors, beautiful women, and literary scenes. Kunisada II played a key role in the further development of the Utagawa tradition, and his works are now represented in numerous international collections.