The Courtesans Hanaogi, Segawa, and Miyahito of the Ogiya

This single ōban sheet of c. 1796–1797 in the Art Institute of Chicago names three of the most famous Yoshiwara courtesans of the decade — Hanaōgi, Segawa, and Miyahito — all of the Ōgiya, the leading brothel of the period. Hanaōgi in particular was a celebrity of national reputation, the subject of multiple Utamaro and Eishi portraits as well as a long line of Eishō designs. By grouping the three stars on a single sheet Eishō produces something close to a Yoshiwara group photograph: each woman is distinguished by hairstyle, kimono pattern, and a slight individuating turn of the head, while the trio together functions as a compact summa of the Ōgiya's roster. The flat patterned grounds and clean color separations are typical of Eishō's mid-career work.