Katsushika Hokusai-Old Man Obsessed with Painting
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) went beyond the craftsmanship of an ukiyo-e artist and continued to pursue painting techniques as an artist. He changed his artist name many times, eventually adopting the name “Gakyou Roujin Manji” (Old Man Obsessed with Painting Swastika).
As he was nearing the end of his 90th year, he is said to have left the following words:
“If I were given 10 more years, or even 5 more years, I could become a real painter.”
His art works of images including The Great Off Kanagawa (The Great Wave) and other prints of “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” influenced Western artists Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas and Henri Rivière.
His printmaking works still have inspired the artists and the creators. In 1960, celebrating his 200th birth anniversary, he was honored as the cultural master in the world.
Early life
No definitive documentation of Hokusai’s origins has been found. But according to a popular theory, hewas born in Honjo, Edo in 1760. The downtown area Honjo was called “Katsushika” in Edo Period and it is said that he named himself it as…