Katsushika

An omnibus edition collecting 15 volumes of Hokusai’s dedicated drawing manuals, ‘e-tehon’. Of the 300 or so printed books Hokusai created in his lifetime, a huge proportion of these were dedicated drawing manuals, known as e-tehon (drawing models). They show not only Hokusai’s great proficiency as a draughtsman, but also his wealth of ideas, and his sense of humour. This omnibus edition collects 15 volumes of Hokusai's e-tehon, which feature over 800 illustrations of instructions from 1812 to 1848. With every page faithfully reproduced against the original works, the book shows Hokusai's playful approach to drawing with amusing songs, pictures comprised of letterforms (a forerunner to today’s emoji), modern designs for craftsmen, and, yes, dance moves. This all-encompassing endeavour also includes a valuable work that he published just before his death. This was his magnum opus, serving to 'preserve everything I’ve learned'. Note to Readers The pages in this volume are ordered according to the Japanese system. Please turn to the back of the book to begin reading.

A wonderfully illustrated exploration of one of Hokusai’s key motifs: Mount Fuji. Katsushika Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji and the three volumes of his subsequent One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji show his fascination with a single motif: Mount Fuji. Hokusai’s near-obsession with Fuji was part of his hankering after artistic immortality. In Buddhist and Daoist tradition, this mountain was thought to hold the secret to eternal life, as one popular interpretation of its name suggests: fu-shi (“not death”). Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji was produced from 1830 to 1832, when Hokusai was in his seventies and at the height of his career. Among the prints are three of the artist’s most famous: The Great Wave of Kanagawa; Fine Wind, Clear Morning; and Thunderstorm Beneath the Summit. By the time he created his second great tribute to Mount Fuji, three volumes comprising One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji, he was using the artist names “Gakyo Rojin” (“old man crazy for painting”) and “Manji” (“ten thousand things” or “everything”). Contrasting the mountain’s steadfastness and solidity with the changing world around it, Hokusai depicts Fuji through different seasons, weather conditions, and settings, and in so doing communicates an important message: while life changes, Fuji stands still. Including all illustrations from these two masterful series, Hokusai’s Fuji also features many of Hokusai’s earlier renditions of the mountain, as well as later paintings. In this way, through Mount Fuji, this volume traces a history of Hokusai’s oeuvre. 265 color and black-and-white illustrations

Best known for his iconic print Under the Wave off Kanagawa, also known as the Great Wave, Katsushika Hokusai was a revolutionary printmaker. His mastery of ukiyo-e in the nineteenth century has inspired generations of artists since, and his works exposed the world to the delicate beauty and power of Japanese woodblock technique. In addition to his remarkable artistic output, Hokusai was also a dedicated teacher who sought to pass down his deep understanding of color and painting to practicing artists through immensely detailed written tutorials. Here, for the first time in centuries, are excerpts from his manuals, many available for the first time in English. It is an invaluable insight into the psyche of a true master, and a rare personal account of an artist's life during a fascinating period in Japan's history. Connecting Hokusai's prints from the Edo period to manga, author Ryoko Matsuba foregrounds Hokusai's contributions to Japanese creative expression from the 1800s to today. Also included in this book: Vincent Van Gogh's letter about Hokusai's Great Wave and the contemporary artist Ikeda Manabu's concise observations about Hokusai's lasting influence.