Katsushika Hokusai was born in Edo, what is now Tokyo, in 1760. His stubborn genius also represents, in its 70 years of continuous artistic creation, the prototype of the single-minded artist, striving only to complete a given task. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Katsushika Hokusai also influenced the Art Nouveau and Impressionist art movements of the 19th century. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Hokusai's most famous work depicts a giant wave about to smash three small boats navigating off the coast of Kanagawa, with Mount Fuji rising in the background. Hokusai's style varied greatly from period to period and even from work to work. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. As was the custom of the time, Hokusai changed his name many times during his life. Hokusai's style varied greatly from period to period and even from work to work. Research Associate, Honolulu Academy of Arts. In 1811 he created the Hokusai Manga, a series of thousands of cartoons carved on woodblocks. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Hokusai is said to have served in his youth as clerk in a lending bookshop, and from 15 to 18 years of age he was apprenticed to a wood-block engraver. Aside from this limitation, however, Hokusai’s work encompassed a wide range, with particular emphasis on landscape views and historical scenes in which figures were often of secondary interest. Katsushika Hokusai’s exact date of birth is unknown No one knows for certain, but Katsushika Hokusai is thought to have been born on 30 October 1760 — the 23rd day of the ninth month of the 10th year of Japan’s Hōreki era. He had planned to live until 110. His largest work was a set of 4,000 sketches in 14 volumes, published in 1814. Whether for economic reasons or not, from this time on Hokusai’s attention turned gradually from novel illustration to the picture book and, particularly, to the type of wood-block-printed copybook designed for amateur artists (including the famous Hokusai manga). By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The first servant to have this situation is Orion. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The downtown area Honjo was called “Katsushika” in Edo Period and it is said that he named himself it as the painting name in later years. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In 1811 he created the Hokusai Manga, a series of thousands of cartoons carved on woodblocks. Hokusai, in full Katsushika Hokusai, professional names Shunrō, Sōri, Kakō, Taito, Gakyōjin, Iitsu, and Manji, (born October 1760, Edo [now Tokyo], Japan—died May 10, 1849, Edo), Japanese master artist and printmaker of the ukiyo-e (“pictures of the floating world”) school. Hokusai had been experimenting with European approaches to perspective since encountering the work of Shiba Kokan, in the 1790s, who had studied Dutch works at Nagasaki in the 1790s, when it was the only port open to foreigners. Moreover, Hokusai constitutes a figure who has, since the later 19th century, impressed Western artists, critics, and art lovers alike, more, possibly, than any other single Asian artist. Around the turn of the century he experimented for a time with Western-style perspective and colouring. Legend has it that the secret of eternal life was put on its peak. - the most common pseudonym of one of the most famous Japanese artists of the direction ukiyo-e. In this Japanese name, the family name is Katsushika. As was tradition at the time, he had numerous names throughout his life. Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was a self-proclaimed “old man mad with painting” towards the end of his life. Like many other famous artists, he was only truly recognized and appreciated after his death. Shiki is credited today with reviving the haiku forming and … Hokusai’s frequent changes in domicile (more than 90 dwellings) and of his own name are indicative of the artist’s restless nature. In his subject matter, Hokusai only occasionally (in a few notable prints, in paintings, and erotica) chose to compete with Utamaro, the acknowledged master of voluptuous figure prints. This tragedy was not only an emotional but also an economic event, for, as adopted heir to the affluent Nakajima family, the son had been instrumental in obtaining a generous stipend for Hokusai, so that he did not need to worry about the uncertainties of income from his paintings, designs, and illustrations, which at this period were paid for more with “gifts” than with set fees. Katsushika Hokusai is actually the small creature next to the girl, the girl is Katsushika Hokusai's daughter, Katsushika Ōi. The young Hokusai’s first published works appeared the following year—actor prints of the kabuki theatre, the genre that Shunshō and the Katsukawa school practically dominated. In his time he was Japan's leading expert on Chinese painting. The art form helped to influence the modern Japanese manga comics. Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾 北斎, c. 31 October 1760 – 10 May 1849), known simply as Hokusai, was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Your email address will not be published. Therefore, at 80 I shall have made some progress, at 90 I shall have penetrated even further the deeper meaning of things, at 100 I shall have become truly marvelous, and at 110, each dot, each line shall surely possess a life of its own. Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎, Katsushika Hokusai?, October 31, 1760–May 10, 1849), also called Hokusai, was a Japanese artist. He then became a pupil of the leading ukiyo-e master, Katsukawa Shunsho. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. While most people instantly recognize The Great Wave off Kanagawa, some may not know anything about its eccentric creator, Katsushika Hokusai.Having produced a colossal volume of around 30,000 works during his lifetime, The Great Wave woodblock print wasn’t produced until 60 years after he first started creating art. Katsushika Hokusai was born in 1760 under the name of Kawamura Tokitaro and brought up by Isa Nakajima, a mirror maker for the Shogun. He worked right up until his death, completing Ducks In a Stream the year before he died. Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock print The Great Wave is one of the most famous and recognizable works of art in the world. Katsushika Hokusai was born in October 1760 in Edo (now Tokyo), Japan. Katsushika Hokusai (1760 - 1849) was active/lived in Japan. Considering the length of his life, we … I only beg that gentlemen of sufficiently long life take care to note the truth of my words. Though its last eruption was in 1707, following a 2011 earthquake volcanologists registered Fuji nearly… To judge from the ages of his several children, Hokusai must have married in his mid-20s. Later he concentrated on the classical themes of the samurai and Chinese subjects. Katsushika Hokusai: Facts and Information As was the custom of the time, Hokusai changed his name many times during his life. At birth he was known as Tokitarō. At age 15 Hokusai began as an apprentice as a woodcut engraver. Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎) (1760-1849) was an Edo period Japanese artist, painter, wood engraver and ukiyo-e maker, born in Edo (now Tokyo).Author of the 13-volume sketchbook Hokusai manga (begun in 1814) and the block prints "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji," (created around 1823-1829), which includes "The Great Wave at Kanagawa." Author of. Katsushika Hokusai was born on the 23rd day of 9th month of the 10th year of the Horeki period (October or November 1760) to an artisan family, in the Katsushika district of Edo, Japan. This was the customary regimen of his long, productive life. In about the year 1812, Hokusai’s eldest son died. His early works represent the full spectrum of ukiyo-e art, including single-sheet prints of landscapes and actors, hand paintings, and … Corrections? Updates? He was interested in drawing a picture when he was six. During his life time, he went by 30 different pseudonyms, moved 93 times, and created about 30,000 art works.Today, he’s remembered as one of the most important ukiyo-e artist in Japan, and the creator of the famous Great Wave off Kanagawa (c. … The master of woodcuts, the author of the cycles "36 species of Fuji", "100 … Hokusai, in full Katsushika Hokusai, professional names Shunrō, Sōri, Kakō, Taito, Gakyōjin, Iitsu, and Manji, (born October 1760, Edo [now Tokyo], Japan—died May 10, 1849, Edo), Japanese master artist and printmaker of the ukiyo-e (“pictures of the floating world”) school. He was adopted in childhood by a prestigious artisan family named Nakajima but was never accepted as an heir—possibly supporting the theory that, though the true son of Nakajima, he had been born of a concubine. Katsushika Hokusai (October 31, 1760 - May 10, 1849) is a type of figure who seems to recur again and again among great artists of all times and places: a compound of enormous vitality, longevity, impatience with the demands of conventional society, and eager questing after new styles to convey that something within the individual that clamors for expression. Back in the seventeenth century in Japan, a new group of artists began producing ukiyo-e, which means “scenes from the floating world" (everyday life). Several famous artists collected his work, including. Katsushika Hokusai reached the height of his career around 1820. His father is believed to have been Nakajima Ise, the official mirror-maker for the country’s Shogun. 13 Easy DIY Halloween Decorations – Ideas and Inspiration, 10 Creative DIY Star Wars Christmas Holiday Crafts, Christmas in Germany: Facts About German Christmas Traditions, TT Rockstars Tips: How to Get Better at Times Tables Rock Stars, Katsushika Hokusai was a Japanese artist and print maker, whose works have become well known outside Japan. "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" is a 10.1'' × 14.9'' (25.7 × 37.8 centimeters) woodblock print painted by Katsushika Hokusai, a Japanese ukiyo-e artist. His name as a child was Tokitaro. His famous print series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji,” published between 1826 and 1833, marked the summit in the history of the Japanese landscape print (see photograph). This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Mount Fuji is actually an active volcano. Hokusai was a member of a Buddhist sect who believed that Mount Fuji was associated with eternal life. From about the age of 50 I produced a number of designs, yet of all I drew prior to the age of 70 there is truly nothing of any great note. After Killing a Spider by Masaoka Shiki. At the same time, Hokusai’s work in the surimono genre during the subsequent decade marks one of the early peaks in his career. Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – May 10, 1849) Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎, Katsushika Hokusai? Learn how your comment data is processed. The most extreme contrast is that between his early, very conventional work produced while he was working in Shunsho's studio and his bold experiments with Western shading and perspective in a set of prints of 1798 which show the influence of Dutch engraving… Hokusai (Katsushika Hokusai [1]) (kätsŏŏshē´kä hōksī´), 1760–1849, Japanese painter, draftsman, and wood engraver, one of the foremost ukiyo-e print designers. Not only did his painting differ from his sketches and wood blocks in being on the whole less inspired and more meticulous, but his prints also show a tremendous change in style. Omissions? In the year 1797 he remarried and adopted the name Hokusai. It is estimated that his name changed over 30 times, more than any other artist of that time. His early works represent the full spectrum of ukiyo-e art, including single-sheet prints of landscapes and actors, hand paintings, and surimono (“printed things”), such as greetings and announcements. Besides his principal noms d’artiste (roughly one per decade), the artist had also some two dozen other occasional pseudonyms, though these were normally used as adjuncts to his principal name of a given period. Katsushika Hokusai was a Japanese painter and printmaker, best known for the paintings ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ and ‘Fine Wind, Clear Morning,’ part of his painting series ‘Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.’ Due to its spiritual significance, Mount Fuji inspired him and most of his works and brought him worldwide recognition. He was influenced by such painters as Sesshu, and other styles of Chinese painting. Published from about 1826 to 1833, this famous series (including supplements, a total of 46 colour prints) marked a summit in the history of the Japanese landscape print; in grandeur of concept and skill of execution there was little approaching it before and nothing to surpass it later—even in the work of Hokusai’s famed late contemporary Hiroshige (q.v.). Surimono were prints issued privately for special occasions—New Year’s and other greetings, musical programs and announcements, private verse selections—in limited editions and featuring immaculate printing of the highest quality. His figure work becomes more powerful but increasingly less delicate; there is greater attention to classical or traditional themes (especially of samurai, or warriors, and Chinese subjects) and a turning away from the contemporary Ukiyo-e world. This change of name marks the beginning of the golden age of his work, which was to continue for a half century. At a … Despite his success, he lived simply and was poor. Hokusai embodied in his long lifetime the essence of the Ukiyo-e school of art during its final century of development. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The most extreme contrast is that between his early, very conventional work produced while he was working in Shunsho's studio and his bold experiments with Western shading and perspective in a set of prints of 1798 which show the influence of Dutch engraving… Possibly under the influence of family life, from this period his designs tended to turn from prints of actors and women to historical and landscape subjects, especially uki-e (semi-historical landscapes using Western-influenced perspective techniques), as well as prints of children. Not only did his painting differ from his sketches and wood blocks in being on the whole less inspired and more meticulous, but his prints also show a tremendous change in style. Despite his appeals to heaven for “yet another decade—nay, even another five years,” on the 18th day of the fourth month of the Japanese calendar “the old man mad with painting,” as he called himself, breathed his last. Between the ages of 14 and 18, he worked as an apprentice wood carver. The Great Wave off Kanagawa. It's estimated that 5000 to 8000 prints were made … Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Katsushika Hokusai is known for Mountain scene painting, graphic artist, book illustration, woodblock. From the early 19th century Hokusai commenced illustrating yomihon (the extended historical novels that were just coming into fashion). …landscape prints, Andō Hiroshige and Katsushika. An energetic artist, Hokusai rose early and continued painting until well after dark. Fuji” is particularly notable (see photograph). Kids Encyclopedia Facts Katsushika Hokusai (October 31, 1760 – May 10, 1849}} was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. Hokusai’s early 30s were to prove years of personal change. His best known work is. He became interested in drawing at the age of five. In format, Hokusai’s oeuvre from this period covers the gamut of ukiyo-e art: single-sheet prints, surimono, picture books and picture novelettes, illustrations to verse anthologies and historical novels, erotic books and album prints, and hand paintings and sketches. In the summer of 1828, Hokusai’s second wife died. He was born in Tokyo, around October 1760 and began painting at the age of 6. It is probably no coincidence, therefore, that before long Hokusai’s favourite daughter (and pupil), O-ei, broke her unhappy marriage with a minor artist named Tōmei and returned to her father’s side, where she was to stay for his remaining years. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hokusai, World Wide Arts Resources - Biography of Katsushika Hokusai, Hokusai - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Your email address will not be published. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The earlier the print, the more highly valued it is. Katsushika Hokusai started his craft at the age of 6, learning most certainly from his father. The artist’s book illustrations and texts turned as well from the earlier themes to historical and didactic subjects. info), c. October 31, 1760 – May 10, 1849) was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. Very likely his intention was to find new pupils and hence new patronage, and in this he succeeded to some degree. Under their influence, his style began to suffer important and clearly visible changes between 1806 and 1807. There is little known of Hokusai's early life, with suggestions that his mother was a concubine and that he was adopted by Nakajima at birth. Katsushika Hokusai (October 21, 1760, Edo (now Tokyo) - May 10, 1849, ibid.) He was a master of the ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints and painting. His real name was Kawamura Tetsuzo (川村鉄蔵. From 15 to 18 years of age he was an apprentice to a wood-block engraver. These cookies do not store any personal information. He was once even summoned to show his artistic skills before the shogun (the military leader who, although theoretically subordinate to the emperor, was in fact the ruler of Japan). View the profiles of people named Katsushika Hokusai. In 1760, Katsushika Hokusai was born in Honjo, Edo. Here are some facts about Katsushika Hokusai. At the age of 73 I finally apprehended something of the true quality of birds, animals, insects, fishes, and of the vital nature of grasses and trees. He created woodblocks of many different subjects at this time, including waterfalls, bridges, birds and flowers. This is the second servant to have the main Servant as a mascot, rather than an individual themselves. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Katsushika Hokusai died in 1849, aged 88 and was buried in Tokyo. Katsushika Hokusai was born in Edo, modern-day Tokyo, in 1760. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Required fields are marked *. Though famed for his detailed prints and illustrations, Hokusai was also fond of displaying his artistic prowess in public—making, for example, huge paintings (some fully 200 square metres [about 2,000 square feet] in area) of mythological figures before festival crowds, in both Edo and Nagoya. 1760–May 10, 1849) was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. Join Facebook to connect with Katsushika Hokusai and others you may know. This early training in the book and printing trades obviously contributed to Hokusai’s artistic development as a printmaker. He was 89 but still insatiably seeking for an ultimate truth in art—as he had written 15 years earlier: From the age of five I have had a mania for sketching the forms of things. His master Shunshō died early in 1793, and somewhat later Hokusai’s young wife passed away, leaving a son and two daughters.