Kuniyoshi Kunisada

by Sarah E. Thompson

Rival 'ukiyo-e' masters Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797?1861) and Utagawa Kunisada (1786?1865) were the two most admired designers of figure prints in 19th-century Japan. Famous for the realism of his portraits of Kabuki actors, the sensuality of his beautiful women and the luxurious settings he imagined for historical scenes, Kunisada was the popular favorite during his lifetime. Kuniyoshi is loved by connoisseurs and collectors today for his dynamic action scenes of warriors and monsters (which foreshadowed present-day manga and anime), his comic prints and even a few especially daring works that...