Katsukawa Shunshi (1726 - January 19, 1793) was a Japanese painter and printmaker in the ukiyo-e style, and the leading artist of the Katsukawa school. Shunshi studied under Miyagawa Shunsui, son and student of Miyagawa Chi shun, both equally famous and talented ukiyo-e artists. Shunshi is most well known for introducing a new form of yakusha-e, prints depicting Kabuki actors. However, his bijin-ga (images of beautiful women) paintings, while less famous, are said by some scholars to be 'the best in the second half of the [18th] century'. Shunshi first came to Edo to study haiku and painting. He became a noted printmaker of actors with his first works dating from 1760. Though originally a member of the Torii school, he soon broke away and began his own style, which would later be dubbed the Katsukawa school. Among his students were the famous ukiyo-e artists Shunchi, Shun'ei, and Hokusai.