Contents
Katsushika Hokusai
Creating The Great Wave off Kanagawa and Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa · Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji
- Born
- 1760
- Birthplace
- Edo, now Tokyo, Japan
- Died
- 10 May 1849
More people
Katsushika Hokusai
A Japanese artist and printmaker whose long career included landscapes, illustrated books and paintings. His work helped shape the international reception of Japanese art.
Early life
Edo beginnings
Grew up in Edo and developed skills connected to printing and illustration.
Apprenticeship
Trained in the Katsukawa studio before developing a more independent approach.
Career
- 1770s–1790s
Early print work
Worked in actor prints and book illustration.
- 1814 onward
Drawing collections
Published volumes of Hokusai Manga.
- 1830s
Mount Fuji series
Produced the landscape series containing The Great Wave.
- Later years
Painting
Continued making art into old age.
Selected work
The Great Wave off Kanagawa
A woodblock print framing distant Fuji beneath a towering wave.
Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji
A series showing the mountain within varied scenes of daily life.
Hokusai Manga
Published collections of drawings across many subjects.
Beyond the prints
Changing names
Used several artist names during his career.
Family collaboration
His daughter Katsushika Ōi was also a painter.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Metropolitan Museum: The Great Wave ↗Photo: missing name. CC0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
