Katsushika Hokusai

Katsushika Hokusai (1760 - 1849)

Born Tokitarō Hokusai on October 31, 1760, in Edo, Japan (now Tokyo). Katsushika is the name of the region in Edo that he was from. During his life, Hokusai changed his name over 30 times!

He is best known for his ukiyo-e woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. He learned the art of woodblock printing from an apprentice at the age of 14.

Hokusai’s work influenced many impressionist artists including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Édouard Manet, and Vincent van Gogh.

Died on May 10, 1849, in Edo, Japan (now Tokyo), at the age of 88.

In 2015, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston hosted a monumental retrospective of Hokusai's works, including all Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, kabuki theatre actors, floral paintings, ghost story illustrations, and mystical creatures. From 1639 - 1853, Japan was an isolationist country. This meant that they did not trade with other countries, or let people from other countries visit or move to Japan. The one exception to this rule was trading with the Dutch. In the late 1820s, Dutch traders introduced the paint color Prussian blue to Japan. It was a revelation for artists, and Hokusai decided to create a series of prints dedicated to the color, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. If you look carefully at these prints, the color black is not used; instead, you see the dark Prussian blue. In March, 2023, the MFA will host an exhibit titled Hokusai: Inspiration and Influence.