Eishō: The Courtesan Midorigi. Oban size, mid-late 1790s (mid-late Kan sei Period). Signature: Eishō zu; publisher (seal below the signature): Yamaguchi-ya. Among the glories of the Golden Age of ukiyo-e are the ökubi-e [close-up por traits] of courtesans by Eishō. This notable example depicts the courtesan Midorigi from the Wakamatsu-ya bordello; she is depicted against a decorated ground, hold ing an ornamental sculpture of an ox. This print is from the artist's major series of bust portraits, Kakuchu bijin-kurabe [Beau ties of the Pleasure Quarter] of which some twenty designs by Eisho and four by other Eishi pupils are known. Such portraits are quite lacking in the psychological insight of Utamaro or Sharaku, but they excel in the expression of the decorative beauty and childish verve that lay at the center of Edo
- Richard Lane, Images From The Floating Place: The Japanese Print
