Eizan Kikugawa

Eizan Kikugawa was born with the given name of Toshinobu Omiya in 1787 in Edo. He was an important painter and ukiyo-e printmaker of the first half of the 19th century. His focus was on bijin-ga - images of 'beautiful women', in plain words, of prostitutes from the licensed pleasure quarters.

Eizan Kikugawa's father Eiji was a fan maker and a painter in Japanese Kano-style. The young boy received his art training first from his father, and then by different painting and printmaking teachers, among them Totoya Hokkei (1790–1850). During his apprentice years Eizan saw the bijin paintings and prints by Utamaro from his late years (Utamaro died in 1806). After circa 1830 Eizan stopped making single woodblock prints, but continued painting.