Katsushika Hokusai – Creative Japanese Artist

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was a Japanese artist of the Edo period. He is best known for the woodblock print series, thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji which includes his most recognizable work, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. He was first trained with ukiyo-e, a style of wood block prints and paintings. Later Hokusai explored other styles of art, including European styles he was exposed to through French and Dutch copper engravings. He mastered Surimono, an experimental genre of Japanese woodblock print. At the high of his career, he created the Hokusai Manga a collection of sketches of various subjects including landscapes, flora, and fauna as well as the thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji set, his most defining set. In his later years, he produced One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji which was another significant landscape series. Our collection of Hokusai patterns includes many from the Thirty-six View collection and a number of other pieces he is known for including Dragon, Carp Leaping up a Cascade, The strong Oi Pouring Sake, and Portrait of a Woman holding a Fan.