Katsushika HOKUSAI (1760 – 1849)
HOKUSAI
Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – 1849) is famous as the author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku Sanjūroku-kei) which includes the iconic print The Great Wave off Kanagawa and Fine Wind, Clear Morning. These works settled Hokusai’s fame not only in Japan but also overseas. Hokusai also worked on several detailed individual images of flowers and birds (kacho-e), erotic art (Shunga) and so-called Ehon Handbooks.
At the age of 18, Hokusai entered the studio of Katsukawa Shunshō, head of the Katsukawa school. The main focus of ukiyo-e by that time was on pictures of courtesans and Kabuki actors.
Landscape as a new genre
Hokusai added a new genre to the Japanese woodblock print. He started to focus on landscapes and images of the everyday life of Japanese people from a variety of social levels. Hokusai’s most famous landscape series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, including the famous Great Wave off Kanagawa, was created between 1826 and 1833. Other popular series of prints are A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces, Oceans of Wisdom and Unusual Views of Celebrated Bridges in the Provinces.
Hokusai's Manga
In 1811, at the age of 51, Hokusai created the Hokusai Manga, which are art handbooks (e-hon). Manga (meaning random drawings) included studies in perspective and movement. The first book of Hokusai's manga was published in 1814 and it was very popular. Therefore, 12 volumes of manga got published before 1820 and three more got published after his death. Throughout his whole life Hokusai made thousands of studies of animals, everyday people and religious figures. They often have humorous overtones and sometimes even seem like caricatures.
Hokusai's influence on European artist
The Convention of Kanagawa in 1854 put an end to the isolation policy in Japan and Japonism became a new interest in the Western world. By that time, Hokusai’s works of art left a deep impression on Western artists. European impressionists studied closely Hokusai's compositions. Also Art Nouveau and Jugendstil refer to Japanese woodblock prints.
Poem by Jitô Tennô
(E154)
Pictures of the Tokaido Road
(E251)
Shimadagahana sekiyō Fuji
(I373)
Taisekiji no sanchū no Fuji
(I357)
Manga figures
(I395)
Nana Hashi ichiran no Fuji (Fuji and the seven bridges)
(I676)
Part of the Same (Sono ni)
(I679)
Raicho no Fuji (Fuji and Foreign Embassy)
(I680)
Sanchū no Fuji (Fuji in the Mountains)
(2144)
Hermit in his hermitage
(I710)
Enchū no Fuji (Fuji through Smoke)
(I749-KB08)
Matagi Fuji (Fuji Straddled)
(I763-KB22)
Orankai no Fuji (Fuji from Orankai)
(I762-KB21)
Rōen no Fuji (Fuji with a Rocket)
(I768-KB27)
Shimadagahana sekiyō Fuji (Fuji in the Evening Sun at Shimadagah
(J027)
Inaka no hashi (Countryside bridge)
(I849)
Roba (Donkey)
(I851)
Ushi (Cattle)
(I852)
Inoshishi (Boar)
(I853)
Kuma (Bear)
(I855)
Rakuda (Camel)
(I856)
No’uma (Wild horses)
(I859)
Donten no Fuji
(I764-KB23)
Kai no Fuji nō-otoko
(I758-KB17)
Orankai no Fuji
(I753-KB12)
Part of the Same (Sono ni)
(J440)
Kyōdai Fuji (Fuji as a Mirror Stand)
(J442)
Sanchū no Fuji (Fuji in the Mountains)
(J443)
Edo Nihon-bashi (Nihonbashi Bridge in Edo)
(J451)