Eisen (Ikeda) Keisai was a woodblock print artist of the Bunsei period (1818–1830) specializing in bijin-ga, erotica, okubi-e (large-headed prints), aizuri-e (blue-shaded prints), surimono (private commissions), and caricatures. Eisen first studied traditional painting techniques under Kano Hakkeisai before serving as an apprentice to bijin-ga artist Kikugawa Eizan (from whom he derived his go, or artist name). 

By the 1820s, Eisen had developed his unique approach to bijin-ga: whereas previous artists such as Kitagawa Utamaro depicted women with tasteful consideration, Eisen emphasized the salaciousness and sensuality of the female form. He also produced a variety of surimono, landscapes (most notably "Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido Road"), and okubi-e, all considered masterpieces of Bunsei period ukiyo-e. In particular, his portraits of Yoshiwara courtesans are prized by collectors for their enhanced elements of realism and overt sexuality. In addition to his art, Eisen co-wrote and edited Ukiyo-e Ruiko, an encyclopedia of Edo-period ukiyo-e artists in 1833. A frequent patron of the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters and an ardent lover of saké, Eisen Keisai passed away in 1848 at the age of sixty-eight.