Japanese lobster from Album of Sketches by Katsushika Hokusai and His Disciples - Katsushika Hokusai Postcard.

Katsushika Hokusai was a representative Japanese ukiyo-e artist active in the late Edo period. In his long career spanning more than 70 years, he worked in a variety of genres, including landscapes , portraits of beautiful women , paintings of flowers and birds , and erotic art , and he continued to amaze people with his innovative perspectives and outstanding techniques. His masterpiece, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji , has had a major impact not only on Japanese artists but also on Western artists, and is highly regarded internationally.

Katsushika Hokusai Biography

• Born in 1760 near Honjo Wari Sewer in Edo (present-day Sumida Ward, Tokyo).
• He loved drawing from an early age, and from the age of 14 he began training in woodblock engraving under a carver.
• In 1778, he became a disciple of the ukiyo-e artist Katsukawa Shunsho and began working on actor portraits.
• Around 1794, he left the Katsukawa school and began to explore his own style of painting.
• From the early 1800s, he became a popular illustrator, illustrating many books and comic poetry.
• In 1814, the first volume of "Hokusai Manga" was published. From then on, a total of 15 volumes were published until 1878.
• Around 1830, he began working on his masterpiece, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.
• He died on April 18, 1849 at the age of 90 at Hensho-in Temple in Shoten-cho, Asakusa.

Representative works

• "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" (c. 1830-1833)
• Hokusai Manga (1814-1878)
• "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" (from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji)
• "Fine Wind, Clear Morning" (from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji)
• A Tour of the Waterfalls in the Provinces (c. 1833)

The Art of Katsushika Hokusai

Katsushika Hokusai's art showed a wide variety of developments throughout his long career. In his early years, he worked on ukiyo-e prints, such as portraits of actors and beautiful women, which were popular at the time, and eventually his talent became widely known for his illustrations in yomihon and kyoka books . Hokusai's art reached its peak after he turned 60. In his masterpiece , Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji , he captured Mount Fuji from various angles, seasons, and weather, and depicted its majestic form with innovative compositions and bold colors. In particular, the contrast between the giant waves in " Under the Great Wave off Kanagawa " and Mount Fuji visible beyond them leaves a strong impression on the viewer. In addition, " Hokusai Manga " is a model of painting that depicts everything in the universe, and it shows Hokusai's insatiable curiosity and outstanding descriptive ability. He continued to pursue new forms of expression throughout his life, and his passion did not wane until his later years.

The influence of Katsushika Hokusai and his later reputation

Katsushika Hokusai's unique art greatly influenced not only contemporary ukiyo-e artists, but also Western artists. In particular, Hokusai's works played an important role in the popularity of Japonism in Europe in the late 19th century. Impressionists such as Monet and Degas , and post-impressionists such as Van Gogh , learned a lot from Hokusai's art, and his influence can be seen in their works. Today, Hokusai is highly regarded internationally as one of Japan's leading artists. Keywords such as " Katsushika Hokusai ," " Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji ," " Hokusai Manga ," " Under the Great Wave off Kanagawa ," and " Japonism " are important elements in understanding Hokusai's art. His works are housed in art museums around the world and continue to fascinate many people even today.