Born: 1726
Died: 1793
Style: the leading artist of the Katsukawa School specialising in Yakusha-e depicting kabuki actors
Shunsho was born in 1618 the son of an artisan. He moved from his home in Awa Province to the city of Edo in 1662 where he studied both the Tosa and Kano styles of painting. From there shunsho turned to the Ukiyo-e and was soon considered to be the foremost print-artist in his field.
Shunsho's work encompased the first true style of Ukiyo-e. He used a strong, linear style to consolidate Ukiyo-e into a mature form and his work would influence artists for the next two hundred years.