Hokusai

Discover the extraordinary artist whose depiction of a majestic wave resonated worldwide. Hokusai (1760–1849) stands as a towering figure in Japanese art, a legendary figure of the Edo era, and a pioneer of Western modernism. His vast and varied body of work, which includes prints, illustrations, and paintings, forms a comprehensive collection of ukiyo-e art and sets the standard for japonisme. Hokusai's influence extended into movements such as Impressionism and Art Nouveau, captivating renowned artists like Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, and Vincent van Gogh.Throughout his life, Hokusai exhibited a restless spirit, moving residence over 90 times and adopting more than 30 different pseudonyms. This restlessness was mirrored in his art, as he explored the full range of ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world." His repertoire included everything from single-sheet prints of landscapes and portraits of actors to sensuous erotica. Beyond this, Hokusai created album prints, illustrated various poetry collections and historical novels, and produced surimono—special prints for notable events.His most celebrated work, the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji series, was published between roughly 1830 and 1834. This collection, which showcases the iconic mountain through different seasons and from various perspectives, represents the pinnacle of Japanese landscape prints. Within this series, The Great Wave off Kanagawa stands out as one of the most internationally recognized pieces of Japanese art.