# Keisai Eisen artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/keisai-eisen/
Profile generated: 2026-05-07T05:42:00.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Death date: 1848-07-22
- Nationality: Japanese
- Movements: Ukiyo-e
- Common media: Woodblock prints (nishiki-e polychrome prints), Book illustration

## About Keisai Eisen

Keisai Eisen (1790–1848), born Ikeda Yoshinobu, was a Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print artist active during the late Edo period. He is best known for his bijin-ga — stylized portraits of beautiful women — and his bold ōkubi-e, or large-head portrait prints, which are regarded as masterworks of the Bunsei Era (1818–1830). Writing under the pen name Ippitsuan, Eisen also contributed illustrations to popular literature of his day. His work embodies the so-called decadent phase of ukiyo-e, characterized by elongated figures, rich color, and an emphasis on the glamour and artifice of Yoshiwara courtesan culture. Eisen's prints are held in major museum collections worldwide and appear regularly at international auction, making him one of the more widely encountered late-Edo print designers on the collector market.

## Common works and media

Collectors are most likely to encounter Eisen's polychrome woodblock prints (nishiki-e) depicting courtesans and beauties, especially his single-sheet ōkubi-e portraits and full-length bijin-ga. He also designed series prints pairing famous restaurants or scenic spots with beautiful women, illustrated books (ehon), and surimono-style privately commissioned prints. Book illustrations from popular novels of the late Edo period also bear his designs.

## Market and appraisal context

Keisai Eisen prints appear frequently in the Japanese and Asian art auction market. Value depends heavily on whether a print is an early impression with strong color and sharp lines, or a later, faded, or trimmed example. His bijin-ga and ōkubi-e compositions are the most commercially desirable subjects. Condition issues common to Edo-period prints — including foxing, worm damage, fading, and edge trimming — can materially reduce value. Posthumous restrikes and reproductions circulate alongside genuine works, so authoritative attribution is important. Prints with documented provenance from named collections tend to command a premium at major auction houses.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from authority files and museum sources with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Keisai Eisen, identity data is drawn from the Library of Congress Name Authority File, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, Wikidata, and corroborating biographical sources.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80061263
- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/271789
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3046492
- VIAF / OCLC: https://viaf.org/viaf/289048024/
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keisai_Eisen