Born: 1786
Died: 1864
Kunisada was an Ukiyo-e painter and printmaker. Born in Katsushika in Musashi, he lived in Edo. At 15 he became a pupil of Toyokuni and he took the name of Kunisada. In 1807 he produced his first book of illustrations, and in 1808 he began to make actor prints. After his father's death, Kunisada inherited the license of the ferry at Itsutsumei and took the name Gototei (Fifth Ferry House). In 1833 he studied under Hanabusa Ikkei, then working in the style of Hanabusa Itcho,taking the name of Kochoro. In 1844 he took the name of Toyokuni III, by which he is frequently known today, though this go had properly belonged to Gosotei Toyokuni. in 1845 he retired, calling himself Shozo. Kunisada specialized in illustrations for story books and portraits of actors. His few landscape prints are quite fine, his bijinga generally undistinguished. His early prints are his best, with his work growing more coarse and violent in obedience to popular l9th-century taste and much of it was hastily designed, over-colored, and badly printed.
- from A Dictionary of Japanese Artists (1976) by Laurance P. Roberts