Woodblock print – Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) – “Shibagaki no haru no yube” 柴垣の春の夕べ (Outside a Brushwood Fence on a Spring Night) – Japan – 1847-52
Beautiful original 19th Century Toyokuni III triptych scene from the tale of Genij; Prince Genji in the centre panel; Figures on either scene, under a blossoming cherry tree, early evening. A woman holding a lamp, beautiful blossoms in soft colors
Artist; Original Toyokuni III /Kunisada ( 1786-1865 ) Japanese Woodblock Print. Prince Genji outside a Garden Gate, 1847 – 1852
Size ; 35,7 cm x 74 cm / 14″ x 29 1/8″
Publisher: Yamamotoya Heikichi (Eikyûdô)
The Woodblock Print
About the Artist
Utagawa Kunisada I (1786 – 1865) was a prolific, successful and at his time highly appreciated leading designer of ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints. Born near Edo as the son of an affluent merchant with a ferry boat license, at the age of 15 Kunisada joined the famous art school of Utagawa Toyokuni and took the artist name Kunisada.
In 1807 Utagawa Kunisada produced his first illustrated book and in 1808 his first actor prints were published. While other artists like Kuniyoshi Utagawa or Hiroshige had to fight for recognition for years, he was successful from the beginning and would become the most commercially successful of all woodblock printmakers ever. Kunisada designed a wide spectrum of traditional ukiyo-e subjects like kabuki themes, beautiful women, historical events and quite a few shunga prints.
