Hokusai

Hokusai, born Katsushika Hokusai, was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, printmaker, painter, draftsman, and book illustrator of the Edo period.

Hokusai, born Katsushika Hokusai, was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, printmaker, painter, draftsman, and book illustrator of the Edo period. He is best known for the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, especially The Great Wave off Kanagawa. His long career produced thousands of works and had a major influence on Japanese and Western art.

Early life and training

Hokusai was born in Edo (now Tokyo) in October 1760. He later studied under ukiyo-e master Katsukawa Shunshō. His early career included work across multiple print and illustration formats.

Major works

Hokusai is most closely associated with Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, a landscape print series published between 1826 and 1833 that includes The Great Wave off Kanagawa. He also produced large numbers of paintings, drawings, and book illustrations.

Style and career

Hokusai worked in a wide range of media, including ukiyo-e prints, paintings, sketches, book illustrations, and surimono prints. He developed an eclectic style over a long career and is frequently described as one of the most inventive figures in Japanese art.

Influence

Hokusai’s prints gained lasting international recognition and influenced artists beyond Japan. Later European artists and movements, particularly Impressionism and Japonisme, were affected by his imagery and composition.