At an early age, Eisen was apprenticed to a Kano style painting master, later he had some connection with Kikugawa Eizan, the leading master of the day in the field of the depiction of beautiful women. Eisen produced an high number of series of beautiful woman prints, as well as erotic prints, some important and original landscape sets, and excellent surimono (privately issued prints).
Of the numerous dramas performed in the kabuki theater, by far the most popular as a subject for colour prints was the 'Chushingura', or the 'Loyal League of Forty-seven Ronin'. The drama is founded on an historical event which took place in 1701, and relates how a certain noble, Asano Takumi-no-Kami, was so persistently insulted by another noble, Kira Kotsuke-no-Suke, his instructor in Court etiquette, that he was at last compelled to draw his sword upon his tormentor in the latter's palace. Such an offense (drawing his weapon within the Court precincts) was punishable by death, and Takumi-no-Kami was condemned to commit 'seppuku'. The revenge-story of his faithful retainers who so had become masterless samurai, or ronin, is the subject of the play. |
