Prints in Collection
Biographical Data
Biography
Utagawa Kuniteru III 歌川 国輝(三代) (active c. 1886-1895)Sources: The Hotei Encyclopedia of Japanese Woodblock Prints, Amy Reigle Newland, Hotei Publishing Company, 2005, p. 504
Little information is available on the rather minor print artist Utagawa Kuniteru III (1830-1874) and what information is available is somewhat contradictory. According to The Hotei Encyclopedia, Kuniteru III was initially a student of Utagawa Kunitsuru II 歌川国鶴 (二代) and assumed the name Kunitsuru III 国靏 (二代) upon his teacher's death in 1874. However, other sources list the death date of Kunitsuru II as 19191, making it very unlikely that he ever assumed the name Kunitsuru III. What does seem fairly certain is that he went on to become a student of Toyohara Kunichika (1835–1900) and used the signature Toyohara Kuniteru 豊原国輝, along with the signatures Kyokusai Kuniteru, Toyosu Kuniteru and Okada Kuniteru, as shown below.
His main artistic output were bunmei kaika-e (pictures of modernization), similar to Utagawa Kuniteru II (1830-1874) . While he is credited with the design of sumo-e, I believe that is in error due to confusion with the works of Kuniteru I (1808-1876). In addition, the works of Utagawa Kuniteru III and Utagawa Kuniteru II (1830-1874) are often confused.
1 Kunitsuru I died in 1878.
Signatures and Seals Attributed to the Artist (A Sampling)
Kuniteru ga with Toshidama seal | 国輝 岡田 Kuniteru with Okada seal | 豊原国輝筆 Toyohara Kuniteru hitsu with Toshidama seal | 豊原国輝画 Toyohara Kuniteru ga with Toshidama seal | 旭斎国輝 Kyokusai Kuniteru with Toshidama seal | 岡田国輝 Okada Kuniteru with Toshidama seal | 豊原 国輝画 Toyohara Kuniteru ga with Toshidama seal | 曻旭斎国輝画 shō Kyokusai Kuniteru ga with Toshidama seal |
豊洲国輝画 Toyosu Kuniteru ga with Toshidama seal | 豊原国輝画 岡田 Toyohara Kuniteru ga with Okada seal | 豊原国輝画 Toyohara Kuniteru ga |