Koi
ca. 1842
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
9 3/4 x 14 in. (24.8 x 35.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1917
Accession Number
JP222
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created around 1842 during Japan’s Edo period, *Koi* by Keisai Eisen captures the quiet grace of carp in a woodblock print measuring just under ten by fourteen inches. Eisen, a prolific ukiyo-e artist, worked at a time when peace and urban prosperity encouraged a flourishing market for affordable, colorful prints that brought scenes of nature and daily life into ordinary homes. Although best known for portraits of beautiful women, he also turned his hand to nature subjects, reflecting the period’s appreciation for seasonal motifs and the symbolic qualities of animals. The print’s medium—ink a...
About the Artist
Keisai Eisen · 1790–1848
Keisai Eisen (1790–1848), born Ikeda Yoshinobu in Edo (modern Tokyo), emerged as one of the late Edo period's most prolific ukiyo-e masters. The son of the renowned calligrapher and Kanō-school painter Ikeda Shigeharu, Eisen was immersed in the arts from childhood. He apprenticed under Kanō Hakkeisai, adopting the art name "Keisai" in homage to his teacher, and later studied bijin-ga (images of be...