Bijin in a Summer Kimono Holding a Goldfish Bowl

Active as a print designer during the late 18th-century, Eishi Hosoda was an ukiyo-e artist known for his elegant bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women). Born into Edo’s samurai class, Eishi began his career in the realm of courtly art, studying Kano school painting under Kano Eisen’in Michinobu (1730-90). Records state that Eishi even served as a "painting companion” to Shogun Ieharu Tokugawa for three years. In fact, it is said that it was the shogun who bestowed the name Eishi on the artist. In the mid-1780s, Eishi turned away from his prominent position within court culture following an illness and pursued ukiyo-e, working as a woodblock print designer and prolific painter. He illustrated kibyoshi (popular novels) and nishiki-e (brocade prints) depicting the beauties of Edo’s floating world. He adopted the go (artist name) Chobunsai. Influenced by masters of the bijin-ga genre such as Kiyonaga Torii (1752-1815) and Utamaro Kitagawa (c.1753-1806), Eishi explored literary subjects and more through his tall, elegant beauties. Eishi took on many pupils, including Eisho, Eiri, and Eisui, who worked in a similar style to their teacher. Around 1800, Eishi left print design and returned to painting.