An Elegant Parody of the Six Poetic Immortals (Furyu yatsushi rokkasen): The Priest Kisen

Art Historical Context

In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1603–1868), Chôbunsai Eishi, a master of uki-e woodblock prints, created *An Elegant Parody of Six Poetic Immort (Furyū yatsushi rokk): The Priest Kisen around 1793. This oban-sized color woodblock print (38.8 × 25.7 cm) reimagines the legendary poet-priest Kisen, one of the Six Poetic Immortals (Rokkasen) from the 9th century, through a lens of contemporary elegance. Eishi's series playfully disguises these ancient figures as fashionable beauties, blending classical literary reverence with the "floating world" of urban pleasures, theater, and bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women). Eishi's refined style shines here, with his signature delicate lines, elongated figures, and subtle gradations of color achieved through masterful woodblock techniques. Multiple carved blocks were inked in vibrant hues—vermilion reds, soft blues, and golds—then precisely printed layer by layer, allowing for the intricate patterns on the kimono and the serene mountain backdrop evoking Kisen's hermitic life. As a leading artist rivaling Utamaro, Eishi favored poised, aristocratic grace over sensuality, making his works prized collector's items. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts of Asia department, this print captures the cultural fusion of poetry, parody, and printmaking innovation that defined ukiyo-e's golden age, offering a window into Japan's witty artistic dialogue between past and present.

About the Artist

Chôbunsai Eishi · 1756–1829

Chôbunsai Eishi, born Hosoda Tokitomi in 1756 to a prosperous samurai family of the Fujiwara clan in Edo, inherited a substantial stipend of 500 koku of rice annually. His grandfather had served as the shogunate's Treasury Minister, and upon his father Hosoda Tokiyuki's death in 1772, Eishi became family head while holding a position in Shogun Tokugawa Ieharu's palace from 1781. Unusually for a uk...