Act. c. 1795–1801
Art names: Chōkōsai (c.1795–97), Shōeidō (c.1795–96).
Eishō is considered as the most important student of Eishi. Nothing is known about his life other than his oeuvre. Active from the mid 1790s, he was the most prolific amongst Eishi’s students, showing a distinctive personal style. It can be assumed that Eishō was already in his twenties at the time when he produced his first prints because these early prints show no characteristics of a young artist in training.
Eishō specialized in beautiful women who he often portrayed in the large-head format. He designed at least twenty series for fourteen publishers, the majority of them issued by Yamaguchiya Chūsuke who had found in Eishō his answer to successful large-head beauty series by Utamaro produced by the publishers Nishimuraya Yohachi and Tsutaya Jūzaburō. Together wiTheiri and Eiu, fellow students of Eishi, Eishō contributed designs to the series “Contest of Beauties of the Pleasure Quarters” (Kakuchū bijin kurabe), published c.1795–97. Twenty-four different beauties are known and with twenty Eishō was the main contributor. For whatever reason, Eishō seems to have stopped designing prints simultaneously with his teacher Eishi.
A few books with illustrations by Eishō appeared between 1798 and 1801, some of them wiTherotic content. Unlike his teacher Eishi, only a small number of paintings by Eishō survive. One of them, a handscroll, is inscribed to be after a picture that Eishi painted as an old man. This would suggest that Eishō was still somewhat active in the 1810s/20s during Eishi’s later years.
c.1795–96 “The courtesan Tsurunoo of the Tsuraya” (Tsuruya uchi Tsurunoo), from the series “Comparison of Beauties from the Green Houses” (Seirō bijin awase). ōban. Publisher: Yamaguchiya Chūsuke. Library of Congress. Series listed in Brandt 1977, cat. A 38-40, but not this design.
c.1796–98 Two geisha with hobby-horses as Niwaka Manzai. ōban. Publisher: Uemura Chō. National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden, The Netherlands. Brandt 1977, cat. A 101.
c.1795–97 The courtesan Shinowara of the Asahimaruya, from the series “Contest of Beauties of the Pleasure Quarters” (Kakuchū bijin kurabe). ōban. Publisher: Yamaguchiya Chūsuke. Collection Peter Rieder. Variation of Brandt 1977, cat. A 5.
Hokusai
1760?–1849
Family name: Kawamura, Nakajima (adopted). Child name: Tokitarō. Given name: Tetsuzō. Art surnames: Katsukawa, Katsushika. Artist names: Shunrō, Sōri, Hokusai, Taitō, Iitsu, Manji. Art names: Gunbatei, Kakō, Tokimasa, Gakyōjin, Gakyō Rōjin et al.
Hokusai arguably the most famous Japanese artist. Born in 1760, he was initially trained as a carver of woodblocks and only at the age of eighteen began to learn how to design prints from Katsukawa Shunshō. It is said that he studied with Kanō Yūsen Hironobu (1778–1815), Tsutsumi Tōrin III (active c.1790s–1830s), Sumiyoshi Hiroyuki (1755–1811) and others. Hokusai frequently changed his art name, using more than thirty different names. His earliest work, signed Katsukawa Shunrō, is an actor print dating from 1778. During the period when he used the name Shunrō, he mostly designed prints in relation to the kabuki theater, but soon turned to landscapes and historical prints. In 1795, he took over the Tawaraya painting studio and changed his name to Sōri. He started to use the name Hokusai in 1797 and in 1805 the art surname Katsushika. He continued to be active until his death in 1849, thus having the longest career of any Japanese print artist.
Over a period of more than seventy years, Hokusai created several thousand highly original prints, paintings, sketches, and book illustrations. He worked for over thirty different publishers—most importantly Iseya Rihei, Moriya Jihei, and Nishimuraya Yohachi. He became most famous for his Western-style prints and landscapes, a genre that he significantly influenced. Amongst his most renowned works are his series illustrating life along the Tōkaidō road that connected Edo (present-day Tokyo) with Kyoto, published from c. 1802 until 1810. Also celebrated were his series of sketch books, Hokusai manga, published in fifteen volumes from 1814 until 1878. Equally popular were his pictures of Mount Fuji, especially the series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) published from c.1829-33, and the book “One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji” (Fugaku hyakkei) published from 1834–35. Widely known is his picture of Mount Fuji Behind the Wave offKanagawa (Kanagawa oki, nami ura), commonly referred to as “ The Great Wave,” from the series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.”
Hokusai seemed to have been rather eccentric and moved houses over ninety times. He had several students; amongst the most talented were Hokkei and Hokuba (1771–1844). Hokusai died at the advanced age of 90 on the eighteenth day of the fourth month in 1849. His posthumous name is Nanshōin Kiyo Hokusai Shinji.
c.1829–33 “Ejiri in Suruga Province” (Sunshū Ejiri), from the series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) ōban. Publisher : Nishimuraya Yohachi Library of Congress Nagata 1981, p. 229, vertical ōban no. 18.35
C.1829–33. “In the mountains of Tōtōmi Province” (Tōtōmi sanchū), from the series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) ōban. Publisher : Nishimuraya Yohachi Collection Peter Reider. Ref.: Nagata 1981, p. 229, vertical ōban no. 18.38
C.1810. "Shōno,” from a series known as “Tōkaidō published in the year Bunka 7 (1810)” (Bunka schichinen ban Tōkaidō) 11.4 x 11.8 cm (4.5 x 4.6 in.) Publisher : Tsuruya Kinsuke Library of Congress Ref.: Nagata 1981, p. 225, vertical koban no. 4.46
c.1829–33 “Snowy morning at Koishikawa” (Koishikawa yuki no ashita), from the series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” (Fugaku sanjūrokkei). ōban. Publisher: Nishimuraya Yohachi. Library of Congress. Nagata 1981, p. 229, vertical ōban no. 18.11.
c.1831 “Cat’s love” (Neko no koi), from an untitled series of caricatures with poems. Chūban. Publisher: Moriya Jihei. Collection Erich Gross, Switzerland. Nagata 1981, p. 227, chūban no. 24.3.
c.1830 “Laughing demoness” (Warai hannya), from the series “One Hundred Ghost Stories” (Hyaku monogatari). Chūban. Publisher: Tsuruya Kiemon. Collection Peter Rieder. Nagata 1981, p. 227, chūban no. 25.1.
c.1830–33 “South wind, clear sky” (Gaifū kaisei), also known as “Red Fuji”, from the series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” (Fugaku sanjūrokkei). ōban. Publisher: Nishimuraya Yohachi. Honolulu Academy of Arts: Gift of James A. Michener, 1970 (15583). Nagata 1981, p. 229, vertical ōban no. 18.33.
