Moonlight left of the pair Beauties in Spring, c. 1798, Hosoda Eishi, Japanese, 1756 - 1829, 31 1/2 x 13 3/16 in. (80 x 33.5 cm) (image)64 3/16 x 17 5/16 in. (163 x 44 cm) (mount) 49 cm W w/ roller, Ink and color on silk, Japan, Nikuhitsu ukiyo-e, Eishi was a member of a samurai family. Perhaps as a result of the protracted peace under Tokugawa rule, he studied painting under the shōgun's court appointed artist, Kanō Eisen (1696-1731) and eventually was recognized for his own painting accomplishments. Despite this reputable background, Eishi seems to have had a particular interest in designing prints and paintings in the ukiyo-e style, a predilection that caused him to resign his hereditary position. As early as 1785 he began to produce paintings and prints of women that were admired for their great elegance and restraint. By about 1798 he ceased to create print designs, devoting himself instead to painting.