Eijudō Hibino at Seventy-one (Toyokuni I)

Eijudō Hibino at Seventy-one
Portrait commemorating 71st year of print publisher Nishimuraya Yohachi
Artist	Utagawa Toyokuni I
Year	c. 1799
Type	ukiyo-e woodblock print
Dimensions	38 cm × 25 cm (14.5 in × 9.5 in)
Condition	not currently on display
Location	Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto
Owner	Royal Ontario Museum
Accession	926.18.482

Eijūdō Hibino at Seventy-one is an ukiyo-e woodblock print dating to around 1799 by Edo period artist Utagawa Toyokuni I. According to its inscription, the print was produced in commemoration of the featured subject, print publisher Nishimuraya Yohachi I's, seventy-first year. The print is part of the permanent collection of the Prince Takamado Gallery of Japan at the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada.

Utagawa Toyokuni (歌川豐國), also known as Toyokuni I, was the second head of the Utagawa school, and one of the most influential and prolific print-makers of the Edo period. From early adolescence, he apprenticed with Utagawa Toyoharu, studying the style of his mentor, as well as those of Chōbunsai Eishi, Utamaro and Eishōsai Chōki. He achieved his greatest commercial success within the genres of bijinga (prints of beautiful women) and, more significantly, kabuki-e and yakusha-e (kabuki and kabuki actor prints). The latter constitute the "overwhelming majority" of his works.

His style is praised for its "powerful and vivid lines," "striking color contrasts," "decorative bombast," and "bold, taut designs." He is credited with innovating polytych formats, and with training prominent pupils, including Kunisada and Kuniyoshi. The copiousness stemming from his success appears to have taken a toll, however. The contemporary consensus is that the quality of his later work "shows a marked decline," and even "degenerated frequently into sheer grotesquerie." Some contend his talent was "predominantly imitative," resulting more from study than "intuitive genius."

Nishimuraya Yohachi (dates unknown) was one of the leading print publishers of the late 18th century. He founded the Nishimuraya Yohachi publishing house, also known as Nishiyo (西与), which operated in Nihonbashi's Bakurochō Nichōme under the shop name Eijudō. The firm's exact dates are unclear, but many art historians date its activity to between c. 1751 and 1860.