Detail: While primarily remembered for his portraits of women, particularly the sumptuously dressed courtesans of the Yoshiwara brothel district, the prolific woodblock print designer Keisai Eisen (1790–1848) also produced numerous landscapes throughout his career. A clear influence upon the artist was Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), so much so that Eisen’s vistas are often mistaken for those of his contemporary. Nevertheless, his profound skill at depicting figures in action and creating dramatic mood through the use of lighting is entirely unique. The works displayed here testify that, alongside both Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), Eisen was one of the most formidable Japanese landscape artists of the 19th century.Who's Blogging

Yesterday morning, when Olsson's employees would normally have been turning on the lights and opening, the family-owned bookstores remained locked and dark, out of business.

The move appears to mark the end for one of the oldest independent booksellers in the Washington area, which had closed one of its six stores to reduce overhead and had been forced into bankruptcy protection this summer by creditors demanding payment of overdue bills.

On its Web site, the company said it has petitioned federal bankruptcy courts to change its bankruptcy status so that it may liquidate its assets.

"Although it is certainly a sad day for us, I can rejoice in all the great memories of my life in retail in Washington," said founder John Olsson, who began selling books and records in