Utagawa Kunimasa

Who was Utagawa Kunimasa?

Utagawa Kunimasa was a Japanese ukiyo-e printmaker and student of Utagawa Toyokuni. Originally from Aizu in Iwashiro province, he first worked in a dye shop upon arriving in Edo. It was there that he was noticed by Toyokuni, to whom he became apprenticed.

Kunimasa is especially known for his yakusha-e prints and for his bijinga pictures of beautiful women. His style is said to strive to "combine the intensity of Sharaku with the decorative pageantry of his master Toyokuni". However, those who make the comparison often say he failed to achieve the level of Sharaku's intensity.