For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Chōkōsai Eishō.

Chōkōsai Eishō

Colour print of the head and shoulders of a mediaeval Japanese woman in fancy dress
The Courtesan Someyama of the Matsubaya Brothel, from the series Contest of Beauties in the Pleasure Quarters, c. 1795–1797

Chōkōsai Eishō (鳥高斎 栄昌, fl. 1790s) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist. He also used the name Shōeidō (昌栄堂).

Eishō's personal details are unknown. His works that remain show a practised skill, so it is likely that they appeared after years of apprenticeship.[1] He is the most prominent student of Eishi and had a prolific output;[1] nearly 200 of his works remain—more than any other student of Eishō's.[2] He produced at least twenty print series published by fourteen publishers, in particular for Yamaguchiya Chūsuke.[1] The majority of his work appeared between c. 1792 and c. 1799.[2]

Eishō's work is assumed to have been in competition with that of Utamaro, who was known for his vertical ōkubi-e bust prints in the bijin-ga genre of portraits of beautiful women.[1] Most of Eishō's prints were in the same format.[1] He depicted his subjects in an elegant, slender-proportioned style.[2] His most representative prints are considered to be those from the series Kakuchū bijin kurabe (郭中美人競, "Contest of beauties in the pleasure quarters", c. 1795–1797). The series depicts actual courtesans from the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters, and the backgrounds were treated with glimmering mica.[2] Eishō contributed twenty of the twenty-four print designs; the remainder were by fellow Eishi students Eiri [ja] and Eiu.[1]

Eishō produced illustrations for a few books in c. 1798–1801, some of which were shunga erotica. Prints by him ceased appearing around 1801, the same year Eishi gave up print designing for nikuhitsu-ga painting. Eishō produced few paintings, and his reasons for giving up printmaking are unknown. A painting that remains is a handscroll of Eishi as an old man, made perhaps in the 1810s or 1820s.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Marks 2012, p. 88.
  2. ^ a b c d Fujisawa 2006, p. 83.

Works cited

[edit]
  • Fujisawa, Murasaki (2006). "Chōkōsai Eishō". In Kobayashi, Tadashi (ed.). Ukiyo eshi retsuden 浮世絵師列伝. Bessatsu Taiyō (in Japanese). Heibonsha. p. 82. ISBN 9784582944938.
  • Marks, Andreas (2012). Japanese Woodblock Prints: Artists, Publishers and Masterworks: 1680–1900. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-0599-7.
  • Neuer, Roni; Libertson, Herbert; Yoshida, Susugu (1990). Ukiyo-e: 250 Years of Japanese Art. Studio Editions. ISBN 978-1-85170-620-4.
{{bottomLinkPreText}} {{bottomLinkText}}
Chōkōsai Eishō
Listen to this article

This browser is not supported by Wikiwand :(
Wikiwand requires a browser with modern capabilities in order to provide you with the best reading experience.
Please download and use one of the following browsers:

This article was just edited, click to reload
This article has been deleted on Wikipedia (Why?)

Back to homepage

Please click Add in the dialog above
Please click Allow in the top-left corner,
then click Install Now in the dialog
Please click Open in the download dialog,
then click Install
Please click the "Downloads" icon in the Safari toolbar, open the first download in the list,
then click Install
{{::$root.activation.text}}

Install Wikiwand

Install on Chrome Install on Firefox
Don't forget to rate us

Tell your friends about Wikiwand!

Gmail Facebook Twitter Link

Enjoying Wikiwand?

Tell your friends and spread the love:
Share on Gmail Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Buffer

Our magic isn't perfect

You can help our automatic cover photo selection by reporting an unsuitable photo.

This photo is visually disturbing This photo is not a good choice

Thank you for helping!


Your input will affect cover photo selection, along with input from other users.

X

Get ready for Wikiwand 2.0 🎉! the new version arrives on September 1st! Don't want to wait?