Kikugawa Eizan (1787-1867) studied originally with his father, Kikugawa Eiji, a Kano style painter and fan maker, and later with the Shijo artist Suzuki Nanrei and the Hokusai pupil Hokkei. He developed his own figural style, focusing for the most part on prints of beautiful women, bijin-ga, incorporating sensitivities and lyricism that typifies works of the Utamaro style, however, not choosing realism but a overt sensuality. His figures have elegance and grace. Eizan was particularly fond of furyu, elegant or stylish figures, labeling many of his series with this description. Although bijin-ga was his most common subject matter, he did experiment with actors, landscapes, animals, and children in his
The Courtesan Miyakoji of Tamaya Brothel in
Edo-cho Itchome Street, and Her Attendants, ca. 1810
This print is from the series Seiro Meikun Zoroi (A Set of Famous Courtesans from Green Houses). There is no record about the number of prints in this series. The courtesan Miyakoji holds a scroll of letter paper and a brush; a shinzo (courtesan 's hand-maid) prepares inkstone, the courtesan writing her letter. The poem inscribed in the upper part in the upper part of the print reads:
katsurao no
migaki tatetaru
tama naredo
Miyakoji,
sono na mo takaki
tsuki no miyakoji
As though a gem polished by a
Katsurao (man in the moon)
her name,
is renowned
in the street of the capital of
the moon!
Publisher: Izumiya Ichibei, Edo