He was able to reproduce realistically the bustling crowds at theatres, festivals and other outdoor public events.
Toyoharu went on to become the founder of the Utagawa School and teacher of some of the most important Japanese artists; without him the art of Hokusai would also not have been conceivable.
An album of 10 coloured woodblock prints by Toyoharu from 1764-89 is being offered by Schuler in Zurich in the sale of June 22 & 24-26 with an estimate of SFr5000-8000.
The title can be translated as Lord Minamoto no Yoritomo hunting at Mount Fuji, but the subjects are more varied than the title would suggest. They include not only exteriors such as fireworks over Ryogoku Bridge (shown here), but also the Seven Lucky Gods and even a European river landscape, one of several that Toyoharu is known to have created.
