Kunisada was the most prolific of all the Ukiyo-e artists. He studied under
Utagawa Toyokuni (from which he adopted the "kuni" name) and excelled primarily as a designer of kabuki actor prints and beautiful
woman pictures. He also designed a large number of shunga (erotica pictures) in book format. He was a noted poet and a member
of a prestigious literary circle that included popular writers Shikitei Sanba and Santo Kyoden.
Kunisada supplanted his master's adopted son and son-in-law Toyokuni II in 1844 and due
to this succession, he is widely referred to as Toyokuni III.
