The State Museum of Oriental Art: Japan

Two-fold screen: 

Monkeys Trying to Catch the Reflection of the Moon

By Kano Toshun

17th century

Indian ink on paper

Height 185 cm; width 95 cm

The Falling of Rime-frost

By Hasegawa Nobuharu (1539-1610)

Indian ink and slight colour

54 × 35 cm

Triptych: Snow, the Moon and Flowers

By Eishi Chobunsai (1756-1815/29)

Colour on silk. 82.5 × 9 cm

Bamboo

By Ikeno Taiga (1723-1776)

Indian ink

130 × 52.5cm

Diptych: Spring and Autumn

By Watanabe Kazan (1793-1841)

Colour on silk

102 × 34 cm

Theatre scene

By Torii Kiyonobu (1664-1729)

Woodblock print, hand-painted

30.8 × 14.5 cm

Actor as Cricket-seller

By Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825)

Woodblock print, hand-painted

25.5 × 36.5 cm

Sketches

By Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)

Indian ink

24.1 × 34.1 cm

Lotus-flower

By Tomioka Tessai (1836-1924). An album sheet

Indian ink and mineral pigments

52 × 60 cm

Katsushika Hokusai

The Great Wave Off Kanagawa
From "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji"
1823-29
Color woodcut
10 x 15 in.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Katsushika Hokusai: Ukiyo-e printmaker and painter. Initially trained to engrave and cut woodblock prints but at the age of 18 also learned to design actor prints from Katsukawa Shunsho (1726-92). Later he adopted a more western style under the influence of Shiba Kokan (1747-1818). Hokusai had an enormous output of about 30,000, in general highly original prints, paintings, sketches and book illustrations on a variety of subjects. Most famous for his landscapes. Very popular were his manga, books of sketches for art students and his 'Thirty six views of mount Fuji' in which his knowledge about Oriental and western art come together. A three volume book with 'One Hundred views of mount Fuji', produced at the age of 75 would have a major influence on European art.


- From The beauty & the actor: Ukiyo-e