| Chôbunsai Eishi was an ''[[ukiyo-e]]'' painter and print designer, known primarily for his depictions of tall, thin, graceful beauties. | | Chôbunsai Eishi was an ''[[ukiyo-e]]'' painter and print designer, known primarily for his depictions of tall, thin, graceful beauties. |
− | The eldest son of a local Edo samurai official of the Hosoda family, Eishi studied under [[Kano Michinobu|Kanô Michinobu]], and served as an official court painter to the shogunate for a number of years. He held ''[[hatamoto]]'' rank and had an income of 500 ''[[koku]]''. His [[art-name]], Eishi, was granted him by the shogun [[Tokugawa Ieharu]] himself. | + | The eldest son of a local Edo samurai official of the Hosoda family, Eishi studied under [[Kano Michinobu|Kanô Michinobu]], and served as an official court painter to the shogunate for a number of years. He held ''[[hatamoto]]'' rank and had an income of 500 ''[[koku]]''. His [[art-name]], Eishi, was granted him by the shogun [[Tokugawa Ieharu]] himself. Chôbunsai is likewise a pseudonym, a studio name, using the character ''sai'' (斎) in its meaning of "studio," much as did the artists [[Hokusai]], [[Isoda Koryusai|Kôryûsai]], [[Keisai Eisen]] and [[Hiroshige|Ichiryûsai Hiroshige]]. |
| In the mid-1780s, however, Eishi made a dramatic change, and moved from the realm of elite painting to ''ukiyo-e''. After working on illustrations for ''[[kibyoshi|kibyôshi]]'' for several years, in [[1789]], he began producing ''ukiyo-e'' works in earnest, including single-sheet prints and paintings. His style shows influence from [[Utamaro]], [[Torii Kiyonaga]] and others, but bears distinctive elements as well. Eishi's women are tall and slender, a continuation and development of a trend begun by Utamaro and Kiyonaga, and they bear a refinement and grace rarely exceeded by the figures in ''[[bijinga]]'' by other artists. | | In the mid-1780s, however, Eishi made a dramatic change, and moved from the realm of elite painting to ''ukiyo-e''. After working on illustrations for ''[[kibyoshi|kibyôshi]]'' for several years, in [[1789]], he began producing ''ukiyo-e'' works in earnest, including single-sheet prints and paintings. His style shows influence from [[Utamaro]], [[Torii Kiyonaga]] and others, but bears distinctive elements as well. Eishi's women are tall and slender, a continuation and development of a trend begun by Utamaro and Kiyonaga, and they bear a refinement and grace rarely exceeded by the figures in ''[[bijinga]]'' by other artists. |