949 - Rare woodblock print by Toyohara Kunichika

Rare woodblock print by Toyohara Kunichika Japan, Meiji period, 1835 - 1900. Color woodblock print on washi (Japanese paper), signed. Artist: Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900). Dimensions: 34.7 x 22.7 cm. The sheet is loose. Condition: traces of age, slight loss of color, ber. Toyohara Kunichika was a master of Japanese ukiyo-e and was particularly known for his lively and dramatic portraits of kabuki actors. Kunichika worked at a time of great social upheaval in Japan and his art reflects both the nostalgic world of Edo kabuki and the influences of early modernism. Despite competition from photography and Western art forms, he was one of the last great ukiyo-e artists of the 19th century.