A Selection of Six Flowers - A Parody Rokkasen (Yatsushi Rokkasen): Ono no Komachi c. 1798

Chōbunsai Eishi created this woodblock print, A Selection of Six Flowers - A Parody Rokkasen: Ono no Komachi, now at the Art Institute of Chicago. The composition immediately draws your eye to the solitary female figure. The arrangement, with its focus on the delicate blossoms, is rendered in a muted palette of yellows, pinks, and greens. Eishi uses line and form to engage with cultural codes. The curve of the figure’s neck and shoulders leads to the focal point: her hands cradling the flower. This simple gesture is not merely representational; it signifies a deeper dialogue about beauty, transience, and representation. The print plays with the viewer’s expectations through subtle deviations, like the parody Rokkasen, destabilizing conventional notions of beauty and elegance. Note how the artist utilizes subtle variations in color and texture to create depth. This reveals not just the aesthetic preferences of the time but also a commentary on the evolving role of women, art, and the subversion of established norms.