Hokusai

1968 · 2311236 — Tokyo Japan / California: Kodansha International Ltd 1968. Soft Cover. Good. Hokusai. Jacket clipped. Wrappers bumped. 1968 Soft Cover. 96 pp. "Katsushika Hokusai known simply as Hokusai was a Japanese artist ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. Hokusai is best known for the woodblock print series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji which includes the internationally iconic print The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Hokusai created the monumental Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji both as a response to a domestic travel boom in Japan and as part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji. It was this series specifically The Great Wave off Kanagawa and Fine Wind Clear Morning that secured his fame both in Japan and overseas. While Hokusai's work prior to this series is certainly important it was not until this series that he gained broad recognition. Hokusai's work transformed the ukiyo-e artform from a style of portraiture largely focused on courtesans and actors into a much broader style of art that focused on landscapes plants and animals. Hokusai worked in various fields besides woodblock prints such as painting and producing designs for book illustrations including his own educational Hokusai Manga which consists of thousands of images of every subject imaginable over fifteen volumes. Starting as a young child he continued working and improving his style until his death aged 88. In a long and successful career he produced over 30000 paintings sketches woodblock prints and images for picture books in total. Innovative in his compositions and exceptional in his drawing technique Hokusai is considered one of the greatest masters in the history of art. Kodansha International Ltd paperback books