The Artist

Katsushika Hokusai

Japanese · 1760 - 1849 · Ukiyo-e

Hokusai produced the single most recognizable image to come out of Japan: The Great Wave off Kanagawa, with Mount Fuji small and white behind the curling claw of seawater. He was prolific past 70, restless, and obsessed — Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, the manga sketchbooks, the late waterfalls and bird-and-flower prints. Ukiyo-e prints translate magnificently to modern surfaces; the bold outlines, flat color, and decisive composition were designed for reproduction.