Morning Glory, Japanese Woodblock Print (c.1854)

By Utagawa Kunisada (1786 – 1865), also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist. He is considered the most popular, prolific and commercially successful designer of ukiyo-e woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his contemporaries Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi.

Ukiyo-e, which translates to "pictures of the floating world," is a Japanese art movement that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. It primarily consists of woodblock prints and paintings depicting the vibrant, transient pleasures of urban life, including kabuki actors, beautiful courtesans, travel scenes, and landscapes.

The genre defined the visual culture of the Edo period (1603–1868) and is known for its bold outlines, asymmetrical compositions, and flat areas of vivid colour.

Cropped; minor creasing.

355mm x 245mm

R3,000