Mad about Painting, Paperback

Published for the first time in English, this book is a beautiful re-creation of a Hokusai manual Best known for his iconic print Under the Wave off Kanagawa, also known as the Great Wave, Hokusai transformed woodblock printmaking. His mastery of ukiyo-e has inspired generations of printmakers, and his works exposed the world to Japanese woodblock. Not only was Hokusai a great artist, he was also a dedicated teacher. He sought to pass down his deep understanding of painting and ukiyo-e to practicing artists. A beautifully curated selection of texts written by Hosukai paired with prefaces that discuss Hokusai's work, this volume provides insight into the psyche of Hokusai and a personal account of being an artist during the Edo period. Connecting Hokusai's prints from the Edo period to Manga, Matsuba Ryoko grounds Hokusai's contributions to contemporary Japanese culture and art. Also included in this book, Vincent Van Gogh's letter about Hokusai's Great Wave and contemporary artist Ikeda Manabu's concise observations on the artist reveal Hokusai's lasting influence on the art world.

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was born in Edo (present-day Tokyo), Japan, and was known by at least thirty names during his lifetime. In 1798, he declared his artistic independence and officially adopted the name Hokusai. From that point until his death, he worked in three distinct formats: single-sheet prints, book illustrations, and multicolor paintings. Around 1831, when he was in his early seventies, he produced his most celebrated print series, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, which includes the Great Wave, the painting for which he is best known. Numerous impressions of these works are in public and private collections outside of Japan, and Hokusai's rich artistic legacy continues to draw attention and admiration around the world. Ryoko Matsuba is a specialist in Edo period print culture. She is currently a lecturer in Japanese digital arts and humanities at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, University of East Anglia. She was a curatorial contributor to two major exhibitions at the British Museum: Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave (2017) and The Citi Exhibition: Manga (2019), for which she coauthored the exhibition catalogue.

• Collection: Ekphrasis
• Dimensions: 178 x 108
• Author: Katsushika Hokusai
• Cover type: Paperback
• Publishing Year: 2023
• Publishing Month: 5
• Pages: 168
• Language: English
• Publisher: David Zwirner Books
• Weight: 50 g