Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 x 10 3/8 in. (20.3 x 26.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1921
Accession Number
JP1247
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite woodblock print (surimono) by Katsushika Hokusai, around 1820 during Japan's Edo period (1615–1868), captures the refined elegance of ukiyo-e, the "pictures of the floating world" that celebrated everyday beauty and transient pleasures. Hokusai, one of the most influential artists of his time, is renowned for masterpieces like *The Great Wave off Kanagawa*. Here, at just 8 x 10 3/8 inches, the intimate scale invites close viewing of vibrant inks and colors layered on paper, depicting men and women amid lush gardens—a nod to the era's fascination with nature's harmony and social ...
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...