Eizan, Kikukawa

Kikukawa Eizan (1787-1867) first studied with his father, Eiji, a minor painter of the Kanō school, then with Suzuki Nanrei, an artist of the Shijō school. He is believed to have also studied with the ukiyo-e artist Totoya Hokkei. He produced numerous woodblock prints of beautiful women (bijin-ga) in the 1830s, but then abandoned printmaking in favor of painting. This artist should not be confused with Harukawa Eizan, an ukiyo-e print designer who was active in the 1790s. Eizan was the most prolific, longest-lived and ultimately the best of the late followers of Utamaro, who attempted to carry on the master’s bijin style after his death in 1806.