Memorial Anniversary (Shunen), from the series "One Hundred Ghost Tales (Hyaku monogatari)"
1831-32
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
24.3 × 18.5 cm (9 5/8 × 7 5/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
47417
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This print shows a snake, symbolizing malevolence, as it crawls over the items used in a memorial service for the dead. In accordance with custom, the display includes a box of sweets, a spirit tablet inscribed with the Buddhist name of the deceased, and a green leaf floating in a bowl of fresh water. The Art Institute’s collection boasts one of the most well-preserved and appreciated editions of Katsushika Hok usa i’s One Hundred Ghost Tales series (1831–32). The artist apparently planned to p...
About the Artist
Katsushika Hokusai · 1760–1849
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) stands as one of history's most influential artists, a Japanese master who revolutionized the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and profoundly shaped Western art. Born in the Katsushika district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to an artisan family, Hokusai lived through nearly nine decades of extraordinary creative evolution, adopting over thirty different artistic names t...