The Plate Mansion (Sarayashiki)

Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) was one of the most influential and celebrated artists of Japan's Edo period, a master of ukiyo-e whose revolutionary approach to woodblock printing transformed the genre and left an indelible mark on world art. Born in Edo (now Tokyo), Hokusai began his artistic journey as a woodblock engraver's apprentice at age 14, later studying under Katsukawa Shunshō before forging his own distinctive path. Over the course of his extraordinarily long career—spanning nearly seven decades—he explored an astonishing range of subjects, from kabuki actors and courtesans to landscapes, nature studies, and scenes of everyday life, constantly evolving his style and pushing the boundaries of traditional Japanese printmaking.

Hokusai's most iconic achievement remains his landmark series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, created in the early 1830s, which includes his world-famous masterpiece The Great Wave off Kanagawa—a work that perfectly captures the dynamic tension between nature's power and human presence. His innovative use of perspective, bold compositions, and synthesis of Japanese and European artistic techniques helped broaden ukiyo-e beyond its traditional subjects and influenced generations of artists both in Japan and abroad. Hokusai's impact on Western art was profound, inspiring the Japonisme movement and directly influencing masters like Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet. Known for his eccentricity and restless creativity—he moved 93 times and used over 30 different artist names throughout his life—Hokusai continued creating art until his death at age 88, leaving behind a legacy of over 30,000 works. Today, his prints are celebrated worldwide for their technical mastery, innovative spirit, and the way they capture both the grandeur and intimate beauty of nineteenth-century Japan.