Chikamaro is said to be identical with Kiosai, whose work sometimes resembles Hokusai's. Born in 1831, he died very late in the century. He was a vigorous designer—perhaps the best of all the later men. His crow pictures are famous.
KIKUGAWA YEIZAN.
Kikugawa Yeizan, a prolific and undistinguished designer of the first quarter of the century, was a late rival and imitator of Utamaro. He eventually sank even to imitating Kunisada. The flowing draperies of some of his prints of women are at first sight attractive to eyes not accustomed to the finest works in this field; but the complete banality of Yeizan's powers becomes manifest on more prolonged acquaintance, and any trace of charm disappears.
Followers of the Torii School.
Here may be mentioned those artists in whom the once-great Torii School came to its inglorious end.
Kiyomine, the fifth head of the school, sometimes signed himself Kiyomitsu; his work is easily distinguishable from that of the first Kiyomitsu. He studied under Kiyonaga, and later adopted a style somewhat like that of Toyokuni. His work is graceful, but not distinguished. Prints by him are rather rare. He died in 1868.
Kiyofusa, who died as late as 1892, was the sixth Torii. He also called himself Kiyomitsu III and Kiyosada II. Other late members of this school were: Kiyomoto II, Kiyoyasu, Kiyotada II, Kiyotada III, Kiyosada I.
The Osaka School.
In the first half of the nineteenth century there grew into importance in the city of Osaka a group of designers who constituted an exception to the statement made earlier in this book—that the art of colour-printing was exclusively a Yedo art. Hokusai is known to have visited Osaka in 1818; and possibly it was his influence that encouraged the movement. At any rate, a large number of the Osaka group were pupils of Hokusai or followers of his manner.