Katsushika Hokusai and Mount Fuji

Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾 北斎, September 23, 1760 – May 10, 1849) was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. He was influenced by such painters as Sesshu, and other styles of Chinese painting. Born in Edo (now Tokyo), Hokusai is best known as author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景 Fugaku Sanjūroku-kei, c. 1831) which includes the internationally recognized print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, created during the 1820s.

Hokusai created the "Thirty-Six Views" both as a response to a domestic travel boom and as part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji. It was this series, specifically The Great Wave print and Fuji in Clear Weather, that secured Hokusai’s fame both in Japan and overseas. As historian Richard Lane concludes, "Indeed, if there is one work that made Hokusai's name, both in Japan and abroad, it must be this monumental print-series...". While Hokusai's work prior to this series is certainly important, it was not until this series that he gained broad recognition and left a lasting impact on the art world. It was also The Great Wave print that initially received, and continues to receive, acclaim and popularity in the Western world.

I saw myself some of the prints in this series by Hokusai, at the National Museum of Art from Bucharest, called  "Pilgrimage to Mount Fuji" and I must confess that it was a special experience to take the time and admire those great pieces of art of the master. It is fascinating to see the colours, to discover the woodblock forms, to see how nature is simplified in some signs and, that is the moment when you can understand how much work, time and patience is needed just for one stamp.