Pumpkin Vine and Horse Fly
ca. 1825-1833
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1898.111
Tags
About this artwork
Signed: Zen Hokusai Tameichi hitsu.
Art Historical Context
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), one of Japan's most celebrated artists, created *Pumpkin Vine and Horse Fly* around 1825–1833 during the Edo period (1615–1868). This work bears his signature "Zen Hokusai Tameichi hitsu," reflecting one of his many pseudonyms as he constantly reinvented himself artistically. Hokusai is renowned for ukiyo-e—"pictures of the floating world"—a genre that captured fleeting moments of beauty in nature, daily life, and the ephemeral. At this stage in his career, he was producing innovative series like his *Manga* sketchbooks and iconic landscapes, showcasing his mast...