Hokusai was born in Edo (Tokyo), Japan in 1760. Interestingly throughout school Hokusai was described as a stubborn artistic genius who was was single-mindedly obsessed with art. Hokusai himself claims that despite his renowned populiarty and reputation, his works produced before the age of seventy were not worthy of attention. I found this quote by Hokusai himself and it made me smile!
"At a hundred I shall be a marvelous artist. At a hundred and ten everything I create; a dot, a line, will jump to life as never before. I am writing this in my old age. I used to call myself Hokosai, but today I sign my self 'The Old Man Mad About Drawing." Hokusai
The delicate and soft colour palettes in Hokusai's prints combined with the subtle, fine detail and accurate nature inspired illustrations capture my attention over and over again. A real talent and beautiful source of inspiration for all creatives!
Goldfinch and Cherry Tree, 1834.
Hibiscus and Sparrow, 1830.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa, 1826-1833.
Lily
Java Sparrow and Magnolia, 1832.
Yoro Waterfall Mino Province
Chrysanthemums and Horsefly
Been carrying around an image of The Great Wave for 15 years now...one of my favorites. Timeless. Hadn't seen the Waterfall one!
ReplyDelete