Utagawa Toyokuni II

Utagawa Toyokuni II (1777–1835), also known as Toyoshige, was a designer of ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints in Edo. He was the pupil, son-in-law and adopted son of Toyokuni I. The former used the name Toyoshige (豊重) until 1826, the year after his teacher's death, when the family gave him the right to use his teacher's name and he began signing his work Toyokuni (豊国). In 1835 he died, and in 1844 the family persuaded Kunisada, the most famous student of Toyokuni I, to use the name "Toyokuni" and become leader of the school. Although Kunisada never recognised Toyoshige's right to the name Toyokuni, nevertheless Kunisada after 1844 is always referred to as Toyokuni III.

"Toyokuni ga" (豊国画) signatures of (from left to right) Toyokuni I, Toyokuni II (Toyoshige) and Toyokuni III (Kunisada)
In this Japanese name, the surname is Utagawa.

Toyokuni I, Toyokuni II (Toyoshige), and Toyokuni III (Kunisada) each used the signature Toyokuni (豊国). The signature of Toyokuni II is easiest to distinguish by the chalice-shaped toyo (豊) kanji (see figure).

Toyoshige's students include Utagawa Kunimatsu, Utagawa Kunishige II, Utagawa Kuniteru III, and Utagawa Kunitsuru I.

Legacy

Works by Utagawa Toyokuni II are held in the Library of Congress, including the work The Sumo Wrestler Kagamiiwa of the West Side.[1]

  • Eight Famous Views (Meisho Hakkei), Night Rain at Oyama (Maya Mountain), a woodblock print by Toyokuni II
    Eight Famous Views (Meisho Hakkei), Night Rain at Oyama (Maya Mountain), a woodblock print by Toyokuni II
  • Three courtesans from the Tamaya house, c. 1828
    Three courtesans from the Tamaya house, c. 1828

References

Notes
  1. "The Sumo Wrestler Kagamiiwa of the West Side". World Digital Library. Retrieved 6 May 2013.

Cited works
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Utagawa Toyokuni (II).
  • Lane, Richard. (1978). Images from the Floating World, The Japanese Print. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780192114471; OCLC 5246796
  • Newland, Amy Reigle. (2005). Hotei Encyclopedia of Japanese Woodblock Prints. Amsterdam: Hotei. ISBN 9789074822657; OCLC 61666175
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