Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) Japanese, (3) Woodblocks. Each depicts a different kabuki actor, all unframed and marked throughout with kanji. Each has a blank backing sheet, with the number 1 to 3 out of 3 along with the artist name and age range written in pencil on them. One is stamped "Original Guarantee by Sakai Co. Ltd. Established 1874 Tokyo Japan." 

Overall Size: 18 x 11 3/4 in. 

Sight Size: 14 1/4 x 10 1/4 in. 

Utagawa Kuniyoshi was born on January 1st, 1798 as Yoshisaburō, and assisted his silk-dyer father in designing patterns for textiles, an experience often credited with shaping his later bold use of color and decorative detail. His talent caught the attention of Utagawa Toyokuni, and after completing his apprenticeship in 1814 he took the name Kuniyoshi and published his first illustrations that same year, but it was not until a pivotal collaboration with fellow Utagawa artist Kunisada that he achieved major success in 1827 with his series One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Suikoden, innovative single-sheet designs that formed larger composite scenes and popularized the depiction of elaborate tattoos that influenced Edo fashion. Best known for heroic triptychs and dynamic battle scenes as well as landscapes, Kabuki actors, animals, and fantastical subjects that blended Japanese tradition with Western spatial ideas, he rebelled during the Tenpō Reforms of the 1840s by using satire, allegory, and caricature that subtly criticized authority and expanded the expressive range of ukiyo-e, influencing later manga. Despite declining health in his final years, he continued working and teaching, training notable pupils such as Yoshitoshi and Yoshitora, and died in 1861.

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