Travellers Crossing the Oi River, by Katsushika Hokusai

 

Have I mentioned I love the extreme stylisation and 'dynamic asymmetry' of Hokusai's prints, widely popular in Japan just before the western impingement, which saw them head around the globe.

 

Posted with Blogsy

“Mount Fuji from Kanaya on the Tokaido Road” – Katsushika Hokusai

Another of Hokusai’s graphic wood-block print series 36 Views of Mt Fuji.

“In the mountain depths…” - Hokusai

    A print from Hokusai’s ‘100 Poems’ series demonstrates a brilliant and fully meaningful use of diagonal composition.
    In an idealised Japanese landscape, Hokusai’s joyful sense of life transforms a poem about “the sadness of loneliness and of autumn signals of approaching death” into its opposite.. Story here, bottom of page..  Clue at top left of print.

Great Wave - Hokusai

Probably the most well known Japanese woodblock print. The balanced asymmetry and simplicity of the composition was to have a profound effect on western art.

Hokusai - Illustration from 'Life in Edo'

A beautifully economical illustration by Katsusika Hokusai (1760-1849) , the master of Japanese woodblock prints.

From the 'Hokusai Mangwa' series, in which "he depicts ordinary people’s lives, animals,
plants, landscapes and human figures," much of it with the humour and economy you see here. You can find much of this delightful series at this collector's site.

LINK: Hokusai World

RELATED: Art

'Two Small Fishing Boats' - Hokusai Katsushika

'Two Small Fishing Boats' - Hokusai Katsushika. Wood block print, 61 x 46cm.

View of Mt Fuji

Woodblock print by Hokusai, part of the 'Views of Mt Fuji' series.

Hokusai Katsushika, Woodblock Print

Hokusai Katsushika, Woodblock Print