▁and ▁there after ▁left ▁his ▁family ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁his ▁adopted ▁son ▁Tok ito yo ▁( ), ▁thereby ▁giving ▁up ▁his ▁sam ur ai ▁rank ; ▁he ▁reason ed ▁that ▁his ▁ill ▁health ▁did ▁not ▁permit ▁him ▁to ▁continue ▁with ▁such ▁duties . ▁ ▁E ishi ' s ▁earliest ▁works ▁were ▁colour ▁ ▁prints . ▁ ▁The ▁subjects ▁are ▁such ▁literary ▁fare ▁as ▁The ▁T ale ▁of ▁Gen ji ▁and ▁are ▁in ▁sub du ed ▁t ones , ▁as ▁required ▁by ▁contemporary ▁laws ▁against ▁ost entation . ▁ ▁He ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁special ize ▁in ▁ ▁port ra its ▁of ▁beautiful ▁women , ▁of ▁which ▁he ▁produced ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁series . ▁ ▁His ▁most ▁prominent ▁rival ▁at ▁first ▁was ▁Ki y on aga ; ▁later ▁his ▁work ▁competed ▁against ▁that ▁of ▁Ut amar o . ▁ ▁His ▁manner ▁of ▁dep ict ing ▁women ▁went ▁through ▁stages : ▁the ▁earliest ▁were ▁of ▁cour tes ans ▁much ▁in ▁the ▁manner ▁of ▁Ki y on aga ; ▁then ▁se ated ▁women ▁performing ▁daily ▁activities ▁such ▁as ▁reading ▁or ▁writing , ▁set ▁against ▁bright ▁background s ; ▁later , ▁sl ender ▁women ▁standing ▁against ▁minimal , ▁sub du ed ▁background s . ▁ ▁E ishi ▁dep icted ▁gradually ▁t aller ▁and ▁more ▁sl ender ▁women ▁until , ▁in ▁the ▁latest ▁prints , ▁their ▁heads ▁were ▁one - tw elf th ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁the ▁figures ; ▁more ▁so ▁even ▁than ▁Ki y on aga , ▁whose ▁reputation ▁is ▁for ▁tall , ▁sl ender ▁beaut ies