Utagawa Kunisada II ( 1823 - 1880)

Utagawa Kunisada II ( 1823 – 1880) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist who took the name “Utagawa Kunisada”. He headed the Utagawa school.

Little is known of Kunisada II’s early life. As a pupil of Utagawa Kunisada I, he signed much of his early work Kunimasa III. Kunisada I adopted him in 1846 after he married the master’s daughter, Osuzu. He took the name Kunisada II c. 1850–51. He changed his name once more following his master’s death to Toyokuni III. However, since there were three artists called Toyokuni before him, Kunisada II is now often known as Toyokuni IV.

Kunisada II worked in the style of his master and he produced over 40 series, of actors), portraits of beauties, landscapes and erotica. He appears to have stopped making prints after 1874 and died on 20 July 1880.