Utagawa Kunimasa IV

Utagawa Kunimasa IV 四代 歌川国政 (1848–1920)  

BIOGRAPHY

Originally born in Asakusa with the name Takenōchi Hidehisa 竹内栄久1, the artist used multiple gō (artist names) during his career including Baidō Hōsai 梅堂豊斎, Baidō Kunimasa 梅堂国政, Kōchōrō 香朝楼, Kunimasa 国政 IV, Kunisada 国貞 III and Toyokuni V 五代 豊国. Early in his career he used the gō Kunimasa IV and Baidō Hōsai. In 1889 he succeeded as head of the Utagawa line and took the gō Kunisada III. Later in his career he claimed the title Toyokuni IV, but that gō was already taken (a fact that he refused to recognize), so he is referred to as Toyokuni V.  However, this conflicts with reports that Utagawa Kunimatsu 歌川国松 (1855-1944) was also known as Utagawa Toyokuni V.

He studied under Toyokuni III at age 11 and then under Utagawa Kunisada I (1786–1865) and Utagawa Kunisada II (1823-1880).

He specialized in Meiji actor prints and along with the older artist Toyohara Kunichika (1835–1900) is considered by some as the best of the yakusha-e (actor prints) artists. He also designed senso-e (war prints), kaika-e (pictures of modernization), e-hon (book illustrations), senjafuda (privately published votive slips) and a type of game board, e-sugoroku. The Yomiuri shinbun recognized Kunimasa as a major designer of the very popular oshi-e (embossed fabric pictures) usually mounted on battledores. 

His eldest son was the artist Utagawa Kokunimasa (1874-1944).

"Hōsai died from illness, age 72, on 26 October 1920 at his home in Asakusa-tamachi.  Following his death, his role in the history of Meiji actor prints was largely forgotten and overshadowed by the accomplishments of the more prolific, and creative, figure of Kunichika.  But perhaps we should re-assess Hōsai's role and accord him a position, if not the most innovative of designers, then at least as a final figure in the long line of Utagawa school actor image makers."2

An In Depth Look at the Artist Baidō Hōsai

A fascinating and in-depth article on the artist titled "In the Shadow of Another: Introducing the 'Meiji no Edokko' Baidō Hōsai" by Amy Reigle Newland can be found in Andon 89 (December 2010), the bulletin of the Society for Japanese Arts.

Signatures and Seals of the Artist (a sampling)

For additional signatures and seals of the artist see Amy Reigle Newland's article, p. 25-26 appearing in Andon 89 (December 2010) and referenced above.

Prints in Collection

[BELOW PRINTS MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK GIFTED TO THE JORDAN SCHNITZER MUSEUM OF ART, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON]

click on thumbnail for print details