Two of the Six Immortal Poets 

Keisai Eisen created this woodblock print of two of the Six Immortal Poets in the late Edo period. The weary poet, Kisen Hoshi, embodies a profound melancholia, a symbol resonating across epochs. His posture—head resting heavily on his hand—echoes the classical motif of melancholy found in ancient Greek and Roman sculptures. The poet’s dejection contrasts sharply with Ono no Komachi, who is sitting upright, holding a fan. The open book beside Kisen Hoshi, a traditional symbol of knowledge, becomes a paradoxical emblem of disillusionment. Like the ancient philosophers, Kisen Hoshi seems burdened by knowledge, a sentiment that pervades throughout time, be it in the Renaissance or the modern age. This image reveals the cyclical nature of human emotion, resurfacing in art across centuries. The enduring power of these symbols lies in their ability to tap into our shared cultural memory, evoking a profound, subconscious connection to the past.