Japanese Printmaker
Katsushika Hokusai
(1760-1849)
Katsushika Hokusai was a Japanese artist
who was born in the town of Edo (now called
Tokyo). His father was a mirror maker. Hokusai
is the most famous printmaker from Japan. His
printmaking style is called Ukiyo-e or "pictures
move much during their lifetime. Hokusai also
changed his artist name about 30 times – this
made art historians and art experts frustrated.
Here are some of the names he used.


Tsuchimochi
Katsushika
Sori
Taito
This is what Hokusai wrote about himself
"From the age of five I have had a mania for
The Great Wave
of the floating world"
Hokusai studied art and learned how to
make woodcuts. This art technique is done by
carving into a flat piece of wood and then
making copies from this wood piece. In his life he
made about 30,000 illustrations. His pictures
were inspired by the traditions, legends, and
lives of the Japanese people. Japanese woodcuts
usually showed high society city life featuring
samurai, sumo wrestlers, and geishas. Hokusai,
usually showed common people in his
landscapes.
His most famous work is a series of block
prints known as the Thirty-Six Views of Mount
Fuji . Although the series is called "36 views", it
actually consists of 46 designs. Hokusai worked
on this series for nearly ten years. Most of
Hokusai’s work show Mount Fuji somewhere in
the picture.
According to his autobiography, Hokusai
moved more than 90 times in his life. This is
unusual because most Japanese people do not
sketching the forms of things. …yet of all I drew
prior to the age of seventy, there is truly nothing
of great note. At the age of seventy-two I finally
understood something of the true quality of
birds, animals, insects, fish and trees. At eighty, I
shall make some progress, at ninety I shall go
even further into the deeper meaning of things,
at one hundred I shall become truly marvelous,
and at one hundred and ten, each dot, each line
shall surely possess a life of its own."
Hokusai is more popular in Europe and
North America than in Japan. He sent many of
his prints to Paris, France. These prints were
collected by some famous artsts like Claude
Monet, and Edgar Degas. These artists used some
of his ideas in their artwork.
Name: __________________
HOKUSAI CROSSWORD
(3pts)
Across
2. What is the name of the
mountain found in Hokusai's
prints?
4. What material did Hokusai
use to carve in for his prints?
5. Hokusai moved at least how
many times?
7. Hokusai was born Edo, in the
city that is now known as
_________________________
8. The pretty, Japanese girls
with white faces are known as
__________________________
Down
1. To what city in Europe were
Hokusai's prints sent?
2. Ukiyo-e means "pictures of
the ________ world"
3. Hokusai used at least how
many names?
6. What country is this artist
from?
9. Famous Japanese wrestlers
are called _______ wrestlers
Questions:
1. What are 3 ways you could recognize artwork by Hokusai? (3pts)
a.
b.
c.
2. Write a paragraph (2-3 sentences) answers the question “Who is Hokusai?” (4pts)
Remember to include 3 or more important facts and the artist’s name in your summary paragraph.