Utagawa Toyokuni

368 works

Toyokuni grew up around kabuki faces, since his father carved dolls and puppets, including replicas of actors. Read more

Featured

Seated man in grey kimono holding a cup at a low lacquer table with ceramics, beside a hanging plum branch.

Portrait of Kinokuniya Bunzaemon

early 1800s

Hanging scroll of two women in kimono, one holding a lantern, with calligraphy above, by Utagawa Toyokuni I.

Three women under a flowering cherry tree at the seashore

1615

Bandō Mitsugorō II as Shinbei in the Kabuki Play "Sukeroku"

late 18th-early 19th century

Painting of women and men under cherry blossoms on a hill above a harbor with sailing boats and rooftops.

Viewing Cherry Blossoms at Gotenyama

late 1700s-early 1800s

Hanging scroll portrait of a kneeling samurai in blue kimono and grey hakama, with two swords beside him.

Portrait of a high-ranking samurai

1803

Hanging scroll portrait of a seated man in a grey kimono with a cup, a low table of dishes, and a plum branch.

Portrait of Kinokuniya Bunzaemon

1850

Woodblock print of a woman in a pink kimono reaching a cherry branch as petals fall, with a kneeling woman beside a stool.

Hinazura of Chōjiya from the series Beauties as the Seven Komachi

c. 1793-97

Triptych woodblock print of women in patterned kimono beside blossoming plum branches, a tea kettle, and a lattice window.

Courtesans of the Ōgiya on a Spring Outing

mid- or late 1790s

Woodblock print of elegantly dressed women in patterned kimono walking along a lantern-lit street with onlookers.

Courtesans Promenading on the Nakanochō

c. 1790

Japanese woodblock print of a courtesan in a vine-patterned kimono beside a lacquer stand and an inset picture.

Takigawa of Ōgiya, from the series Beauties as the Seven Komachi

c. 1793-97

Woodblock print of women in kimono on a veranda beside a garden with a lattice screen and tea set.

Iwai Kiyotaro (Edoya) as Okaru (from the series Pictures of Actors Onstage)

1794

Woodblock print of a kabuki actor in black kimono holding a drawn sword in rain, within a decorative black frame.

Sawamura Gennosuke as Satsuma Gengobei

c. 1805

Japanese woodblock print of women in kimono folding and handling cloth on a veranda, with a garden and poem text behind.

Memorial Portrait of Sawamura Sojuro III as Satsuma Gengobei

1800

Two men in dramatic poses with swords beside a waterfall, in a colourful Japanese woodblock print.

Kataoka Nizaemon VII and Ichikawa Yaozo III in a Confrontation Beside a Waterfall

c. 1797

Japanese woodblock print of a woman holding a baby while a man lies on the floor beside a hanging bell and green blind.

The Sixth Month (from the series The Twelve Felicitous Months in Edo Brocades)

c. late 1790s

Woodblock print of a courtesan in a patterned kimono flanked by two attendants beneath blossoming branches.

The Courtesan Katakoshigi (?) of Maruebiya with her Kamuro Ageha and Midori

c. 1805

Woodblock print of a courtesan and two attendants on a wooden veranda, with a garden of pines and a bamboo fence beside them.

Courtesan Standing on a Veranda

early 1790s

Woodblock print of a standing figure in a red and cream checkered robe with black sleeve trim and a topknot.

Segawa Michinosuke Wearing a Padded Plaid Robe

c. 1805

Woodblock print of a woman in a checkered kimono and black outer robe, holding a white cloth, with a yellow hair ornament.

Segawa Roko as Hachizo's Wife Ohatsu

c. 1805

Woodblock print of a seated man in a checkered robe holding a pipe, with a sword and red sandals beside him.

Bando Mitsugoro IV in a Travelling Robe

early 1800s

Five-panel woodblock print of a crowded arched bridge over a river, with boats and strollers in kimono.

Cooling Off at Ryōgoku Bridge in Edo, a Pentaptych (Edo Ryôgoku suzumi no zu, gomai tsuzuki)

1811

Japanese woodblock print of two women in patterned kimono crossing water beside a tree with orange flowers, one holding a pin

The Courtesan Chozan of the Chojiya

c. 1790

Japanese woodblock print of a man in a checked kimono and sword, arms folded, standing beneath a tree.

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro as a Samurai

1769-1825

Japanese woodblock triptych of courtesans and attendants in kimono walking through a garden with pines and screens.

Courtesans of the Chojiya and their attendants playing kemari

c. 1791/93

Triptych print of women doing laundry by a wooden well under leafy trees, with cloth hung on a pole.

Doing the Laundry by the Well Curb (Idobata no sentaku to araihari)

c. 1795

Toyokuni grew up around kabuki faces, since his father carved dolls and puppets, including replicas of actors. At about 14 he was apprenticed to Utagawa Toyoharu, the first head of the Utagawa house. From 1794 the Edo publisher Izumiya Ichibei put out his Actors on Stage series, more than fifty full-length actor portraits. Over his career he made close to three thousand woodblock prints, though his work grew more static after 1803. He died in Edo in 1825, and his two major pupils were Kunisada and Kuniyoshi. Browse 368 works by Utagawa Toyokuni from 12 museums, free to download in HD. Source: Wikipedia

Utagawa Toyokuni

Portrait of Kinokuniya Bunzaemon

Woman and Attendant

Three women under a flowering cherry tree at the seashore

Courtesan and Maid

Bandō Mitsugorō II as Shinbei in the Kabuki Play "Sukeroku"

Viewing Cherry Blossoms at Gotenyama

Portrait of a high-ranking samurai

Portrait of Kinokuniya Bunzaemon

Cherry Blossoms in the Wind

Hinazura of Chōjiya from the series Beauties as the Seven Komachi

Courtesans of the Ōgiya on a Spring Outing

Courtesans Promenading on the Nakanochō

Takigawa of Ōgiya, from the series Beauties as the Seven Komachi

The Shika Teahouse

Iwai Kiyotaro (Edoya) as Okaru (from the series Pictures of Actors Onstage)

Sawamura Gennosuke as Satsuma Gengobei

Women Making Clothing

Memorial Portrait of Sawamura Sojuro III as Satsuma Gengobei

Kataoka Nizaemon VII and Ichikawa Yaozo III in a Confrontation Beside a Waterfall

The Sixth Month (from the series The Twelve Felicitous Months in Edo Brocades)

The Courtesan Katakoshigi (?) of Maruebiya with her Kamuro Ageha and Midori

Courtesan Standing on a Veranda

Segawa Michinosuke Wearing a Padded Plaid Robe

Segawa Roko as Hachizo's Wife Ohatsu

Bando Mitsugoro IV in a Travelling Robe

Cooling Off at Ryōgoku Bridge in Edo, a Pentaptych (Edo Ryôgoku suzumi no zu, gomai tsuzuki)

Actors

Examination for Writing

The Courtesan Chozan of the Chojiya

The Actor Ichikawa Danjuro as a Samurai

Courtesans of the Chojiya and their attendants playing kemari

Doing the Laundry by the Well Curb (Idobata no sentaku to araihari)

Utagawa Toyokuni

Artworks