Utagawa Kunimaro I

Utagawa Kunimaro I was an artist active during the mid-nineteenth century, with documented output spanning the years 1851 to 1866. His known body of work consists primarily of prints, reflecting common subject matter from the period.

Six of Utagawa Kunimaro I prints are represented in institutional holdings, most notably at the Art Institute of Chicago. A significant portion of these documented works concerns commemorative portraits related to the Kabuki theater. These include multiple impressions of the Memorial Portrait of the Actor Ichimura Takenojo V, alongside the related composition Memorial Portraits of Ichimura Takenojo V and Unidentified Actor.

The artist’s documented themes were not limited to theatrical subjects, however. Kunimaro I also produced striking animal studies, exemplified by the print Picture of a Ferocious Tiger Drawn from Life (Shasei moko no zu). These examples provide museum-quality representation of the artist's brief documented career. Since much of this historical artwork is now in the public domain, the surviving prints continue to serve as important records for the study of late Edo period visual culture.