Kunitoshi Utagawa (1847-1899)

Kunitoshi Utagawa was a notable Meiji-period artist who flourished in the latter half of the nineteenth century as a member of the prolific Utagawa school. Under the guidance of masters such as Kunisada, Kunitsugu, and Kunisada II, Kunitoshi honed his craft in ukiyo-e, a genre of Japanese woodblock prints. He is particularly recognised for his contributions to kaika-e, or "enlightenment pictures," which vividly depicted the transformation of Tokyo as it modernised and westernised. These works captured the essence of Japan's rapid cultural and technological evolution, providing a unique visual record of the era's significant changes and the blending of Eastern and Western influences.

Signature: Baiju Kunitoshi