Page 147 - 2021 March 16th Japanese and Korean Art, Christie's New York City

119 HOSODA EISHO (ACT. 1780-1800)

Shizutamaya Shitsuka (The courtesan Shitsuka
of the Shizutama-ya house)

Woodblock print, from the series Kakuchu bijin
kurabe (Contest of tea house beauties), signed
Eisho ga, published by Yamaguchiya Chusuke,
circa 1795-97
Vertical oban: 15 x 10¿ in. (38.1 x 25.7 cm.)

$40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE:
Henri Vever (1854-1943), Paris, sold Sotheby's London,
Highly Important Japanese Prints, Illustrated Books and
Drawings from the Henri Vever Collection: Part III, 24
March 1977, lot 218

As Chobunsai Eishi (1756-1829)'s most recognized pupil,
Eisho was active for only a brief period during Kansei
Era(1789-1801). However he soon built his towering fame
through his okubi-e, especially this Kakuchu bijin kurabe
(Contest of Tea House Beauties) series, in which Eisho
employed simplified outlines to capture the charisma of
the most admired courtesans at the time.

In this particular print, Eisho made the beauty held a
smoking pipe and put a fairly mild color palette on her.
The teacher Eishi also made a portrait of the same
figure, Shizuka, in his Beauties of the Yoshiwara as Six
Floral Immortals series. With similar color and clothing
to Eisho's, Eishi shared an intimate moment of the
courtesan being at ease and disregarded any gaze from
viewers. Eisho's Shizuka, on the other hand, appeared to
be more conscious of her charm with her adulatory facial
expression and her suggestive pose which reveals her
collarbone and curvy neckline. The glamorous essence
of a beauty at the peak of her career was extensively
captured, therefore Eisho made his fame amidst great
artists like Utamaro and Kiyonaga.